Brave

Well i am a bit pooped.  We have little Beau on a Friday, and now that he is three, doesn’t really want to have a sleep, which is a bit of a bummer for Grandma, who would like to have a nap.  Saturday I had the last of my weddings for a couple of months, which just turned out to be the same day as our Church Women’s Conference.  I really didn’t want to miss the guest speaker, or our Pastor Alison Mullany, who is always funny but very relevant.  However, I needed to pace myself so I could make it through the day.  Allan was up at 6.45 am to go to darts, so I managed to get a bit more sleep in after he left.  I seem to take a bit longer to pull up as the Chemo is going along.  I don’t get sick or nauseas, just tired, and do a bit less than I did at the beginning. I arrived at the conference, just in time to hear Ps Donna speak for the second time, and Ps Alison for the first, so felt like I hadn’t missed too much.

My friend Glenys who has just qualified as a Marriage Celebrant, came with me to the Wedding, which I really appreciated, as I needed the company to keep me awake.  It was a lovely country themed setting, with a guy playing his Acoustic guitar. It was very windy and gave my wig a run for its money.  It didn’t budge which I am really glad about.  I have said before, I really don’t want to be on Australias funniest home videos as ‘The Celebrant whose Wig flew off during the Ceremony’. I did however, wear myself out and spent the day in bed on Sunday recuperating.

Our oldest daughter Sarah just came back from ‘Colour Conference’ at Hills Christian Centre Sydney, which sees thousands of women from all over Australia, gathering to hear wonderful speakers.  It has been going for twenty years and I still haven’t been.  Next year, is going to be my year.  The Theme for the Conference was ‘Brave’, so here is Sarah and our granddaughter Halle rocking there Brave T Shirts.  What Sarah wrote on instagram really touched me and  made me cry, so I asked her if it was alright to share it with you.

‘Well the start of this year has been unexpected..My Mum diagnosed with Breast Cancer before Christmas last year and now, only a few months later, my sister has gone through the process of having a suspicious lump looked at, which thankfully we found out today is non cancerous.

Being on the other side of the Country away from two of the dearest people in your life is at times, heart wrenching especially with what they are both going through.  I am doing this public post to say how proud I am to be related to such bravery.  I wish I could hear the roar of applause from the crowd of witnesses in heaven every time you choose to see Him instead of the situation, no matter how small that choice may feel at times. 

Breast Cancer is straight from the pit of Hell and that is exactly where it will return.  Halle and I are wearing our ‘Brave’ T Shirts not just physically but wear bravery on our Hearts and in our Spirits as we stand in prayer for other women going through this.. BRAVE WOMEN REALLY DO RUN IN MY FAMILY  Love you Mumsy and Sweets..

Sarah is one of the bravest women I know.  We were so excited when she and son-in-law Jarrad announced they were expecting their first child.  Around nine weeks, happiness turned to sadness when the ultra sound showed no heart beat.  They were gutted.  It knocks the wind out of your sails.  All the plans and dreams for that child gone.  Most of us could cope with that once, pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off, and try again.  But, when it happens a second and then a third time, it attacks your hope of ever having a healthy baby.    Sarah and Jarrad never lost faith in God through all this.  One Sunday night conference I was looking up at the stage where my girl, who had just had a miscarriage a couple of days before, was leading the singing and worshipping God with her whole heart.  I couldn’t believe her strength.

Not long after they delivered a healthy baby girl who they called ‘Halle’ which means ‘unexpected gift’, followed by another miscarriage and then two beautiful boys. The oldest Jonas has ‘Autism’ so Sarah’s life is full but challenging, I am always amazed at the calm and serene way she handles the busyness.  I often feel a bit guilty when I hang up after a phone call into their hectic life, as I settle back in my quiet two person home.

Here is the thing.  When tough things happen we have a choice.  Run to God, or get mad and run away.  I have always found the best place to be is close to Him during the hard times, as well as the good.