Please, Lord...No!

I received a call this afternoon from Pastor Alan.  He shared some very difficult news with us.  Apparently our dear friend, Maxine, was taken to the hospital this morning with excruciating pain.  She was diagnosed later today with advanced liver cancer.  Her prognosis is not good and time appears short. 

My heart sank as I heard Alan talking.  My mind was racing and I just couldn't think of words to say.  All I could think is that this dear friend has been struck by an all too familiar enemy.  "Please, Lord," I prayed.  "Please, Lord....No!"  My heart broke on so many levels.  I then had the heartbreak of sharing the news with Marc.

Mel and Max are not just dear friends to us.  They were our mentors while Marc and I were dating and engaged.  We met weekly to discuss marriage, relational pitfalls, and hear wise advice from a couple that had been married a long time, loved each other, and still liked each other.  They shared their struggles, lessons they had learned, and encouragement....lots of encouragement. 

When it came time to plan our wedding we asked Mel and Max to stand up for us in our wedding. "Sure!" they exclaimed.  "What date do you have in mind?"  We thought that July 12th would work out well.  They agreed and started to laugh.  Come to find out we had picked their 40th wedding anniversary for our wedding day!  Seemed like the perfect date to us.  They joined us at the altar that morning and later in the afternoon we watched as they renewed their vows.  These are amazing people.

These two have seen us through our wedding, buying a home, the births of our children, and a myriad of life issues.  We have enjoyed dinners together, late night card games, and vacationing together.  And every step of the way they were there with their kind words of wisdom and encouragement.  I don't think we would have had the beautiful marriage we have enjoyed without the direction of this amazing couple.

When Marc was diagnosed last year, Maxine started having some health problems of her own.  We haven't been able to visit back and forth and help each other much; however, we knew they were praying for us as hard as we were praying for them.  While Marc was doing chemo, Maxine was enduring back surgeries and issues with her heart.  Recently, though, we understood that she was gaining strength and her smile back again.  We were delighted to hear that even just yesterday she was at church and seemed to be doing much better.  We were thankful for that news.

But, today we have received different news.  This is the news that feels like a punch in the gut.  It's the kind of news that doesn't make sense and seems to overwhelm us with grief.  We sit tonight and pray for Maxine.  We pray that her pain subsides and that her body could heal.  We pray for Mel.   I know what its like to hear the prognosis and to watch my spouse in pain.  It is a terribly helpless feeling.  We pray that he finds peace and comfort -- the kind that surpasses all understanding.  It's there.  I hope he finds it easily.  We pray for their four children, their spouses, and their grandchildren.  Bring them together, Lord.  Give them that time together.  Please join us in praying for this couple and their family.  We love them dearly.

Also, please pray for Alan.  Our pastor has been working hard to help all of us this week.  Pray strength and wisdom for him.  This is not an easy calling.  We are grateful for his help and care during this time.

With love and gratitude....