Training for Battle, Pt. 2 – Brothers-in-Arms

Psalm 7:10-13

The Most High God is like a shield that keeps me safe. He saves those whose hearts are honest. God judges fairly; He shows his courage every day.If Evil refuses to change his ways, God will sharpen his sword. He will ready his bow ready for use. He has prepared his deadly weapons; He has made his flaming arrows ready. The fact that God has given the medical field such precise methods of destroying cancer that we have today is unfathomable! Think about it - injecting a poison into a person's body in order to kill the cells that are intent on killing us; what a crazy concept. When the Psalmist wrote, "(God) has prepared his deadly weapons; He has made his flaming arrows ready", I am certain he never envisioned something like a chemo drip going into the human body via an IV!

Today, I sat with my wife for the second time as we watched this terrifying process take place in her; it's a frightening concept, and yet it is designed to be the source of life that she will depend on for her survival. I envision it like an arrow, being shot from a bow and driven straight into the heart of cancer. Archery requires two key skills - precision and accuracy. If you are shooting with precision but not accuracy, you will have a very tight grouping, but not hitting the bulls-eye. The opposite will have you hitting all around the target, but not striking the same point twice. Firing with both skills will ensure you pierce the center of the target every time - a crucial requirement very well known by every successful bowhunter.

In my own journey through this world of cancer survival, I am realizing that I have two key skills that I must perfect - courage, and trust. As I said in my previous post, I have an enemy to fight, and I need every ounce of courage I can muster in order to face this beast; everything in me wants to run and hide, but this foe must be attacked face-to-face, if Julie is to be successful in her journey. And I must release myself to trust - trust in the brotherhood I have brought along with me into this fight.

Brotherly trust has been a tough ability for me to be able to give - once I had lost the only blood brother I was given so many years ago. Lost in my own world, I went a long time hiding my fears and emotions inside of me, not knowing where to turn with them. Through the years, however, I have been blessed to receive several 'adopted' brothers along the way - brothers-in-arms, as it were, who would bravely stand by me through any battle. And right now, I need them more than ever to have my back as I wage war for my wife's life.

At times, this process can make you feel very alone - when Julie is wracked with pain at 2AM and desperately trying to find relief from the ravages of chemo, it's up to me to talk her through it - working to bring her hope and a confidence that this is working the way it should; reminding her that this process will make her cancer-free one day. At times like these, I think of the brothers I have in my life - guys who aren't afraid to call me on my weaknesses, guys who see the potential in me. It is easy to see the physical impact that cancer is having on Julie, but I am fortunate to have more than a few who recognize the emotional toll this diagnosis is having on me, and are frequently checking in to see where I am at and how they can support me. When they see a need, they are quick to take action to make certain it is met (Here's a shout out to my friends Jenn & Andy, who insisted on setting up a fundraising site for Julie, and as painfully hard as it is to accept financial help of this nature, it has been very crucial in addressing some of the significant bills that are stacking up as we progress with treatment).

Let me also call out Pastor James, who has walked through this very same journey with Tammy a year before us, and knows exactly the battles I will be facing along this way. When I find myself at my wit's end, trying to understand this process, he will call or text me out of the blue with just the right answer for me to grab onto. Knowing that they will be right here with us, cheering us along on this path, only serves to boost our confidence as we move forward with this battle. If it weren't for the brothers-in-arms around me, I don't know how we would have the courage to go back for round after round of treatment, knowing the toll this is taking on Julie's condition.

And so we continue to move forward, waging war against this foe. May our arrows fly true, and every one find its mark to strike down cancer for good. With a set of brothers like these, how can I fail in my quest to see my wife through this. Looking at it from here, there's no way we can't win! Sitting here in the Meadow wing of the chemo ward, the words of the song 'Day of War' are coming to mind:

As our worlds collide, it's the fight of our lives In the face of my enemies, cover me! I will stand up tall, and sing the warrior's song. In the face of my enemies, cover me!

We fight on earth for heaven's glory, and history will tell the story. Before the battle has begun, the war is won!

For now, I can't take my eyes off my hot, sexy wife, sporting the cutest OS-themed mohawk! Once she discovered her hair starting to fall, she quickly moved through the stages of fear and grief and on to boldness; she decided to greet this new event with humor and wit, with the help of her great friend and hairdresser (another Julie). And she's rocking this like a mighty warrior woman!

Questions for you, the reader:

1) Do you find your arrows flying more with precision, or with accuracy?

2) What do you need to do to succeed in both?

3) What can be accomplished in your life, once you have mastered the ability to hit the bulls-eye every time??

#Matt