Hello everyone! Thank you so much for taking the time to read this blog and get updated on the weekly statuses of my mom! Last week she was able to enjoy three wonderful days with some old friends from high school. It took her a full hour to tell me all about it and she could have kept talking about it! she had a marvelous time! Below, one of her friends, Shannon Skinn, wrote a little something about the weekend. Thanks so much for sharing, Shannon!
What circumstances would prompt to say that you felt like you were living in heaven on earth? Would it be that you were recently diagnosed with 4th stage lung cancer that had already metastasized to your brain? Or maybe that you had completed 14 radiation treatments to your brain, and were in the middle of an aggressive chemotherapy regimen? How about if you had to learn to adjust to the complications of a wretched disease AND the side effects of the treatments & medications that altered your physical and mental capabilities in uncontrollable, unpredictable and difficult ways (not the least of which is the life-altering side effect of not being able to drive)? Maybe it’d be the challenge of having just moved your family and your belongings into a home that is half the size of the one you left a year and a half ago, and 1000 miles away. Maybe it’d be that you were parenting a daughter in high school and a son in middle school and a daughter attending a university in another state. Or perhaps you were supporting your husband in a necessary career change that required uprooting your family from the friends and community you enjoyed for over two decades. What if the responsibility to quickly and completely transition the multitude of tasks associated with your job were forced upon you? Would any ONE of those circumstances cause you to tell people you felt like you were experiencing “heaven on earth?” What about ALL of them at once? Hard to even imagine, right? Yet, it’s just a glimpse into Judy’s life, and she walks around saying she feels like she’s living in heaven on earth! She is glorifying God every step of the way on this treacherous journey, and I highly recommend spending some time with her. It is nourishment, actually a grand feast, for the soul!
Throughout our brief visit, Judy astounded and blessed us with her constant state of peace that passes understanding, her awareness of God’s abiding presence, her complete surrender to her Creator, her sincere love for others, her generous heart, and her appreciation for fun, fellowship, and beauty. We went to Naples for the purpose of blessing her, and instead received blessing upon blessing FROM her.
Although most of us hadn’t seen each other even a handful of times since we graduated from high school, we enjoyed a deep sense of unity. We had a blast, walked the beach, ate good food, drank good wine, told good stories (including some that will never be printed in a blog), had deep theological discussions, and were entertained by strangers brave enough join us by the poolside fire (actually, one stranger was completely silent, one was completely inebriated, and one was maybe marginally brave). Most importantly, we prayed together. Thanks, Susan, for initiating that - your heart is a treasure!
At Stephanie’s request, we showed up with mementos from TKA Class of 1979 and current family photos. It was fun to walk down memory lane aided by Susan’s hand-written Senior Trip journal! Carol had some great photo albums that captured treasured memories off campus - usually surrounded by water! If you ever attended TKA, we probably saw a picture of you & shared a fond memory of you. Bev shared some great photos of the entire Anderson Clan, including their three generations of missionaries to South America. It was great to see everyone’s photos of their beautiful and talented kids. Tim provided a major highlight of our trip when he showed up at the hotel with Jenna and Austin. Judy and Tim have precious, precious, talented, gorgeous kids! We missed Tess, but heard lots of stories about her. Maybe we can plan a future trip around one of Tess’ visits to FL, soon!
There’s so much more I could say, but I’ll summarize it by saying this - if your soul needs some nourishment, go see Judy. Christ joined us together in his body, and when we are with each other in authentic relationships, the Holy Spirit can transform us more into Christlikeness. If you yearn to hear your Heavenly Father say to you, “this is my beloved child, in whom I am well pleased,” go see Judy (I can’t explain it, it’s part of the mystery). If you need to see what life looks like when you live it with a grateful heart, in complete surrender to the Lord, go spend time with Judy. Go alone, or grab a few friends, just go. She is one tough warrior in an all out cancer battle, yet is full of grace and joy. Go figure. Go see her. It’s not something to just read about, it must be experienced. Go.
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gifts, especially Judy, Tim, Tess, Jenna, Austin, Keeler and family, and Rhonda and Jeff. I give thanks to God for each of you, and join you in expecting God to grant that full pardon for Judy with a complete removal of cancer in her body, while we are on this earth, in this life. Thanks also to Susan, Stephanie, Bev and Carol for quickly rearranging the demands of your daily lives & joining me on the inaugural visit to “love on Judy” a little bit. Let’s do it again (& again, ...).
With much love,
Shannon
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