Healing is not linear.
But nothing in life ever really takes a straight path, does it?
Rivers wind.
Valleys dip.
Branches bend.
Many times, in my health journey I thought I was coming to the end, only to realize it wasn’t actually the end— it was the start of a new beginning.
Is there a good time to get cancer?
No.
But I think I came pretty close.
By the time I was diagnosed back in early December of 2017, I was showing signs of advanced cancer.
When I was told I was Stage 3, part of me felt guilty I had let my health reach this point. But I ended up getting diagnosed at the perfect time because it allowed me to take part in a new immunotherapy clinical trial.
Had I been diagnosed sooner, I would have missed this opportunity. I believe this trial is a large part I’m still in remission today.
It’s funny how things tend to work out for the best, even when all can seem lost.
One unexpected turn and it turns out you were exactly where you needed to be all along.
I’ve found that when we are worrying all is lost, God is working.
Just as our heart rate rises and falls, God draws straight with crooked lines.
We may not always see the big picture, but God sees the entire canvas.
We often expect the events in our life to unfold in a linear way.
We believe we must go from point A to get to point B.
We believe we must have XYZ in order to be truly happy.
But, my journey has taught me there are no short-cuts to coming full circle.
Healing takes time to unfold.
Each arc in the path of our journey is an important part of our story; without those experiences, we wouldn’t be the person we are today.
Maybe this struggle was sent to help anchor your faith?
Maybe what wounded you was meant to help remind you of your true strength?
It may not make sense now, but one day it will.
There is purpose is our pain.
There is meaning behind all this madness.
I’ve found that is only in overcoming ourselves that we able to help others heal too.