During the summer my daughter was diagnosed with cancer and with secondaries throughout her upper body. She’s fit and well so the news came as a shock. I decided to tell people rather than keep it secret. We all go through difficult times and vicars are no exception!
Many people in the congregation have written to me and I’ve been helped and inspired by what they have said. Their faith and positive attitude has encouraged me. So below here are two snippets from many cards and letters.
This is a quotation from St Francis de Sales one of my parishioners used:
“Do not look forward to what might happen tomorrow; the same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow and every day. Either He will shield you from suffering, or He will gibe you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace, then, put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations, and say continually: The Lord is my strength and shield; my heart has trusted in Him and I am helped. he is not only with me, but in me and I in Him.”
Another one wrote:
How difficult it is in such circumstances to see any purpose to life and yet you bravely tried this morning to steer our thoughts to try to see that God is with us at these dark times. I am learning to play the cello and one of the pieces I am currently working on is from Mendelsohn’s oratorio ‘Elijah’. It is the piece ‘O Rest in the Lord’. Its words come from Psalm 37 ‘O rest in the Lord, wait patiently for him and he shall give thee thy heart’s desires. Wait patiently for him. O rest in the Lord’. I share these words which encouraged me.
Who knows how many daughter will fare. But I think my parishioners are right. We are not promised an easy life. But we are promised that God will be with us to inspire, strengthen and give us peace.
Jan
