Grace is Raining Down

Tomorrow morning is it. The big surgery.

I saw the plastic surgeon for my pre-op appointment today and he marked up my breasts and chest. He marked either side of my sternum and put some hash marks between the lines. He called it the "no-fly zone." LOL He let me pick which color he was going to mark me--I chose red. "Go for the gusto!" he said. The markers were in a velvet pouch and had a drug company's name on them. I asked if they were just Sharpies and he sheepishly admitted that they were. I love my plastic surgeon; he makes me laugh. We also talked about his difficulties getting a visa for getting into China. He's going to go work on cleft palates/mouths there. He's a real person outside of this whole cancer thing of mine. It is good to get a sense of that.

This morning, after I left for my appointment, the cleaning woman met with Joe and went over the list of things we'd like to have her clean. I just feel so blessed that our friends have offered to have her come help us. It is not something that we can repay. It is just grace. Pure and simple grace.

This evening, another homeschooling friend stopped by with four meals for the freezer. Her sons each made a quiche and signed them (so sweet!) along with the baking directions. Along with the meals she brought a huge grocery sack of paper plates and cups and plastic cutlery. Grace is raining down.

One of our pastors stopped by tonight to pray for us. We talked about how the cancer in my life has brought so many opportunities for growth and blessing in ways I never even thought possible. He said it has been the same for the church as a whole. We have all learned and grown as they have walked with me through this. My boys have learned first-hand what Christ's church looks like in action. Graced heaped up, shaken down, and overflowing.

I suppose I should be more nervous. But that is grace too. Unmerited favor, and the strength to do what lies before me. "Not by might, not by power, but by My Spirit" says the Lord. So while this is an end to my breasts, it is just another step in the journey toward wholeness. Amen and amen.