The Roller Coaster
I remember like it was yesterday. I was at the now long-gone Pike amusement area in Long Beach, CA. There I was, a third grader, standing in front of the terrifyingly large and old wooden roller coaster…The Cyclone.
Dad got tickets for the two of us and off we went for my first roller coaster ride. What a ride it was.
I was petrified.
By the time we arrived back, I think all the blood had drained from my body. I don’t ever recall going on another roller coaster like that again. I learned my lesson.
Walking alongside someone with cancer feels a lot like The Cyclone.
Some of you might remember a post I did two years ago, The Power of Prayer. My spouse, Tom, was diagnosed with cancer and we were buoyed by the prayers that were surrounding him.
I wish I could report that – poof – the cancer disappeared and that he is in remission. That is not the case, and Tom starts a new regimen of chemo infusions this week. One of the drugs is appropriately named “5 FU.” Sometimes you think either God or the scientists (or both) have a wicked sense of humor.
My faith – and Tom’s faith – has not been put to the test. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t moments of feeling lost, sad, and maybe a bit peeved with God. Like two years ago, we are surrounded by the prayers of many people. We can still say that we are blessed. Perhaps it’s odd to proclaim, but God is good.
The examples abound:
A few week ago, I was talking to a committee leader from a church where I was doing a capital campaign. Debbie – whose adult son was just two days away from passing from cancer – asked (to my utter surprise that her grief wasn’t consuming her), “How’s Tom doing?”
Or at Annual Conference when I ran into my friend, John. I’m lucky to see John and catch up with him maybe once a year. One of the first things he asked was about Tom. As my eyes welled up, John said, “That’s OK. He’s still on my prayer list.”
Or friends from Sunday School, Joy and Craig, who said, “We pray for Tom every morning.”
Or Jan, who each week since Tom’s diagnosis has sent him a greeting card that makes us both laugh or helps lift our spirits.
Prayer is still working – even if it’s not in the exact way we had hoped.
Unfortunately, prayer does not relieve us of the roller coaster ride.
That’s why a community that’s praying for you is critical. You know that on that roller coaster, you are not alone. Your people are there to hold you, grab your hand, and say, “It’s OK, you’re going to get through this.” Whether they know it or not, these are the Jesus people you want beside you.
No, we don’t want to be on the roller coaster. Lord knows, the ride is terrifying.
But if we must be on one, we feel pretty lucky that this is the one we’re on...with angels right next to us.
Thanks be to God.
Photo credit: drippycat @ pixabay.com
###Cesie Delve Scheuermann (pronounced “CC Delv Sherman,” yes, really) is a Stewardship Consultant for the OR-ID Annual Conference. She is also a Senior Ministry Strategist with Horizons Stewardship – helping with capital campaigns and encouraging more generosity. For 25 years, while working as a volunteer and part-time consultant, she has helped raise millions of dollars for numerous churches and non-profit organizations. Jimmy Fallon and Kevin Hart have one wild (and hilarious) ride on this roller coaster.
You can reach Cesie at inspiringgenerosity@gmail.com, at CesieScheuermann.com, or at cesieds@horizons.net. Want to schedule a meeting? She’s got you covered!
Schedule a meeting now.
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