The Book

"I hope you're writing a book." Val said to me after I told her about my latest progress with Ixempra and the last five amazing months. Even though Val is only second to Debbie in the duration of our friendship, she does not hear about the week-to-week drama that most of us go through with my treatments. She has a very busy life and a lot on her plate in the personal
department, so she gets her updates from Deb or me on a less frequent basis. Anyway, when she said the familiar "book" phrase, I said that I was writing everything down..bit by bit...story by story. Val has a strong history of breast cancer in her family, has lost one aunt, her mother and one sister have already fought the battle and won with early detection, so the subject is very real to her. She has always wanted me to write a book, ever since my 2001 transplant.

When I think about putting things in a book, I am always wondering about the format. What will be the overall theme, where will all the stories come from, can I remember enough stuff, will people be interested? One of the reasons I started putting things down on this site was to remember, to share, to have it in writing even as it was happening. I have come to realize that God's faithfulness is my overall theme, the stories are endlessly supplied by Him, enough stuff is happening as we go along, and who cares if anyone is interested.......it would be a book to honor Him and encourage others.

For instance, I was given four scriptures from my sister-in-law Jackie a couple of weeks ago when I was down and hurting from treatment. She will tell you that these scriptures came from the Lord and I believe her. They are a message when put together can sum up what is going on here, what faith and trust and the Lord has in mind. All I need to do is read them every day and be amazed how four scriptures from four different books can come together for a great message. When God stuff like this happens to me, I pay close attention:

"Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him because he always lives to intercede for them." Hebrews 7:25
"When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him and he asked them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?"" Matthew 9:27
"And God is able to make all grace abound to you so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8
"He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed, the God who gives life to the dead and call things that are not as though they were." Romans 4:17

These scriptures, given in this order, is the theme, the tale, my story. The first three scriptures are talking about Christ. I believe the words. Christ lives to intercede for me, He can save me completely. I have to not be blinded by all that I feel physically, all that I am told and believe that He is able to do this. Then there is grace, so much grace I have already received. God is working through me to do good works...to imitate Christ, and He sees to it that I have all that I need.

In trying to get the message of the fourth scripture, at first I thought the line about "life to the dead" was for me. It is definitely conviction that God has the ultimate power to make things not as they were. I thought that was the fourth and ending theme for these divine scriptures. But as I sat down to write down on paper about the four scriptures and to make sure they were not forgotten and were in "the book", I realized something else...something bigger.

In Romans, chapter 4, Paul is talking about Abraham. Abraham the father of many nations. Abraham, who was justified by faith. Abraham, who just happens to be the father of both nations that represent my faith and Maha's faith. Abraham, our connector. So maybe, just maybe the first part of the scripture is really where my message is, where my story continues.
God telling me that he is the God of Abraham...my God...Maha's God. The same God who will give life and call things that are not as though they were. We are all in this together, under His care on so many levels, it is truly amazing.

So when I think about writing my book, I will always know where my inspiration will come from.
The original Book, the Book of all books, has so much material, so much encouragement, so many miracles, so many messages...I just need to remember to look and look again. Only then will I see the importance of the first part of the fourth scripture of my life battle. Only then will I receive the full blessing of what God is whispering.