Resting in the Lord...

For we also have had the good news
proclaimed to us, just as they did;
but the message they heard was
of no value to them, because they
did not share the faith of those who obeyed. 
Now we who have believed enter that rest…
                                            Hebrews 4:2-3

 

Last month in Spain we had a beautiful apartment overlooking the swimming pool, sand and sea, but saw little of the sun.  From our lounge window we daily watched the soaking rain, sand filled clouds, and overnight a sandstorm turned pool green!  With friends we had fun, food and rest, with occasional sorties to nearby shops and several empty, cold resorts. On our returned I soaked up the last four days of unusually warm temperatures here! 

I pressed into writing on the three days before my second operation on 1^st April. I am pleased to report that turned out painless, stitches and swelling brought some discomfort, but I am ‘cancer free’!  And as I write this the book is nearly at 80,000 words = half way through.  

My belief is the Lord inspires the plots, I type, He dictates, and uses my characters, through fiction to tackle many different, and sometimes difficult life scenarios.  This book is bringing out prejudice and racism, rife in the 70’s with no legal boundaries.  In ‘Rosie’ disability and abortion entered plot, in ‘David’ it was murder and death, in ‘Jill’ her lifestyle choices were very opposite to ‘Jane’ who starts the series by influencing those around her with the Lord’s love and wisdom.  

For me, awaking from sleep, and recently having to rest, I've been gaining sub-plots, expanding each day where I left the story, or a prompt to add, or edit, a conversation. And, what I thought was a minor detail has begun to become a major factor.  At present I have no idea how that will all tie together, which makes it as entertaining to write, as to reading the story.  And, I am excited when I check back to discover the clues are already there, even in previous books, to help the reader picture ‘Janice’, as they see through her eyes as her identity and destiny unfold..    

On meeting last Thursday with a fourth, previously unseen, consultant he asked, “What do you feel about chemotherapy?” My answer was, “Not a lot as I am of the understanding HRT will be sufficient.”  This being my Jubilee year in the Lord, as I walked home, I did complain that this was supposed to return loss, not add a bombardment of medical procedures for the last 6 months, with the possibility of adding another six months.  And, with an oncology appointment made for me on 5 May, I did have a few self-pitying minutes.

Once home, I opened my emails to see one entitled ‘Peace’!  My response, “I’ll take that Lord” and it came.  Next morning resting in the Lord, having agreed, ‘what will be…' the unexpected happened!  An hour later I had a phone call from an oncologist consultant informing me he had just received, and been reading my notes! (On a Bank Holiday!!!!)  To keep the story short, by asking questions he informed me chemotherapy only had a 5-9% chance of stopping cancer recurring, and HRT was more effective.  I know the Lord instigated that treatment eleven years ago.  And, I took for seven years before having the lump removed.  In that time it didn’t go, but it didn’t grow, to which the oncologist pointedly stated, ‘And you are now cancer free’.  I felt the Lord had once again intervened, and on 5 May I will only be discussing HRT, making it truly a Good Friday!