It has been a few days now since making the decision to move forward with the Taxol/Herceptin regimen and we are slowly getting our "heads around" the fact that we find ourselves having to endure chemo again. It seems we have been living this scene over and over these past weeks... cancer diagnosis again, surgery again, slowly healing again, staring chemo right in the face again; not the kind of deja vu you want to experience, ya know! Still, we are getting there, preparing our hearts and minds to not just survive but to walk this road in a way that will glorify the Lord and bear testimony of His goodness in the midst of the storm.
As I was teaching today during a workshop inside San Quentin State Prison I was once again struck with the reality that, like those men who are locked up inside that prison, many of those who are around us in church every weekend are in their own "prisons", even though there are no cells and walls that hold them. My heart breaks for these who find themselves there due to difficulties, trials, and hurts life has brought their way. It has strengthened my resolve to not allow Michelle and myself to let any of what we are going through cause us to lose sight of the greatness, goodness and graciousness of the God that we serve; to not allow it to cause us to "circle the wagons" and endure this in isolation; to not find ourselves "blaming" God for our situations. To do so would cause us to be locked up in the "hell" of this insidious disease; to do so would not allow us to experience the true freedom we have in Christ; to do so would not allow us to experience the Body of Christ being the Body of Christ in our lives, praying for and ministering to us just as we desire to do for all of you.
Please pray even now for Michelle to handle the chemo treatments well and that the possible side-effects would not be experienced by her; pray for us as we continue to "prepare" for that time; pray that in and through it all we will display and glorify Christ in our lives. Know that as you pray for us we are praying for you all. Keep praying for our friend Mike and his wife, Jennifer, as well as their kids (see previous post). Just as every service is ended at our church so I will end this post... You are loved! - Steve and Michelle -
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About the Venables
- The Venables -
- We, Steve and Michelle, live in Peoria, AZ, with our kids: Sarah, Steven, Rebekah and Moriah. Steve recently re-entered the world of full-time ministry within the local church, taking on the position of Campus Pastor at Harvest Bible Chapel North Phoenix, and Michelle continues to homeschool ALL FOUR kids!
Trust, Lean, Acknowledge
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." (Prov 3:5-6)
An alternate rendering of "He shall direct your paths" is that the Lord will make your way smooth and/or straight. This can seem so contrary to life experiences, which at times appear to be anything but smooth or straight. Yet, as we trust in the Lord and not in our interpretation or thoughts on what is "happening around or to us", acknowledging that He is in control and nothing escapes His knowledge including the trials of life, relying on Him for even our very next breath, He truly provides "shock absorbtion" for the bumps and potholes of life; and what seemed to be a dramtic turn in the road is nothing more than Him redirecting us down a path for our edification and growth. It is not always easy and many times doesn't seem to make sense, but in the Lord it is ALWAYS for our good.
Trust in, lean on and acknowledge HIM... He will guide you through even the most difficult of times of life. Today, even if you are in the midst of the fiery trial, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, in Jesus you will come through it not singed, without even the "smell" of fire on you (Daniel 3:27), purified for greater service unto Him and bringing glory to His name alone.
An alternate rendering of "He shall direct your paths" is that the Lord will make your way smooth and/or straight. This can seem so contrary to life experiences, which at times appear to be anything but smooth or straight. Yet, as we trust in the Lord and not in our interpretation or thoughts on what is "happening around or to us", acknowledging that He is in control and nothing escapes His knowledge including the trials of life, relying on Him for even our very next breath, He truly provides "shock absorbtion" for the bumps and potholes of life; and what seemed to be a dramtic turn in the road is nothing more than Him redirecting us down a path for our edification and growth. It is not always easy and many times doesn't seem to make sense, but in the Lord it is ALWAYS for our good.
Trust in, lean on and acknowledge HIM... He will guide you through even the most difficult of times of life. Today, even if you are in the midst of the fiery trial, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, in Jesus you will come through it not singed, without even the "smell" of fire on you (Daniel 3:27), purified for greater service unto Him and bringing glory to His name alone.
Pause and Ponder (Selah):
"Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit'; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say,'If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.'" (James 4:13-16, NKJV)
At times like the one Michelle and I find ourselves in at the moment, it amazes me how simple life really becomes. Yes, things can seem on the surface complicated when you think of tests, surgery, radiation therapy, possibly chemotherapy; but in actuality, as life becomes more focused on the immediate and more critical, it slows and everything just seems a little more uncomplicated. You can't really make plans for tomorrow, next week, next month, or even next year to some extent; you literally have to live life moment to moment, day to day. This brings about a re-evaluation of ones life, causing that which is truly important to come to the forefront.
It makes me wonder how many times we, even as Christians, fashion our plans, establish where we are heading, and detail out where our life is going and then, once we have come up with it all, ask God to bless OUR endeavors having never sought Him in the process. How much struggle do we bring into our own lives because we didn't first seek Him as we were coming up with our "plans"? I am reminded again that is is okay to make plans in the Lord for our future, but in the end it is the Lord's will that matters most. To paraphrase Henry Blackaby from Experiencing God, we are really here to simply participate in what God is already doing around us!!! As the Word says, don't get caught up looking to tomorrow because you have no control over what it holds and sufficient for the day (today) is it's own trouble (or "stuff" to deal with!). Oh yeah, and don't get hung up looking back at yesterday either because you can't change it!
Keep an eye on where you are heading in the future, yes, trusting in Jesus each step of the way as you make your plans. But be sure, in the midst of the "road trip", to give your ALL today in serving the Lord, giving Him the "steering wheel" as HE guides and directs you into the future HE has planned for you. It is better than anything you could have come up with anyway!!!
At times like the one Michelle and I find ourselves in at the moment, it amazes me how simple life really becomes. Yes, things can seem on the surface complicated when you think of tests, surgery, radiation therapy, possibly chemotherapy; but in actuality, as life becomes more focused on the immediate and more critical, it slows and everything just seems a little more uncomplicated. You can't really make plans for tomorrow, next week, next month, or even next year to some extent; you literally have to live life moment to moment, day to day. This brings about a re-evaluation of ones life, causing that which is truly important to come to the forefront.
It makes me wonder how many times we, even as Christians, fashion our plans, establish where we are heading, and detail out where our life is going and then, once we have come up with it all, ask God to bless OUR endeavors having never sought Him in the process. How much struggle do we bring into our own lives because we didn't first seek Him as we were coming up with our "plans"? I am reminded again that is is okay to make plans in the Lord for our future, but in the end it is the Lord's will that matters most. To paraphrase Henry Blackaby from Experiencing God, we are really here to simply participate in what God is already doing around us!!! As the Word says, don't get caught up looking to tomorrow because you have no control over what it holds and sufficient for the day (today) is it's own trouble (or "stuff" to deal with!). Oh yeah, and don't get hung up looking back at yesterday either because you can't change it!
Keep an eye on where you are heading in the future, yes, trusting in Jesus each step of the way as you make your plans. But be sure, in the midst of the "road trip", to give your ALL today in serving the Lord, giving Him the "steering wheel" as HE guides and directs you into the future HE has planned for you. It is better than anything you could have come up with anyway!!!
2 comments:
Steve, Michelle, Sarah, Steven, Rebekah and Moriah we are praying for you all. I know it is hard and we don't fully understand why some of our prayers get answered while others do not. I am thankfull for the ones that have been answered and will continue to pray faithfully for the ones that have not. The circumstances you have shared with us are very difficult indeed. I am truelly amazed how you keep your focus on God and the good things he must have planned to come out of all this. In my own personal life it has stengthened my prayer relationship with our heavenly father. Hang in there guys and know you are most certainly in our thoughts and prayers. With all my Love, Larry.
Steve and Michelle and family: I'm belated in checking up on your blog and share your disappointment that more chemotherapy is going to be required. I appreciate your sharing your struggles and your faith with us as you live through this decision. Our pastor had a good sermon on joy yesterday -- usually Christians don't look any different than the rest of the world when dealing with difficulties. I am grateful for your testimony and example to us that Christ's joy can be present even in difficult times. I will keep you in my prayers.
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