The Story Project
Rose’s story
The Greater Good
“Ouch! Ow, ow!” I was in a hurry to get to campus to teach class. Unfortunately, the pot lid slid and the hot steamy soup scalded my hand. Less than an hour later the burning sensation I thought had been treated turned into a painful throb; I ended class and ran into the health office to find out I had second degree burns. This event was seared into my mind and blurred into many other events discovering my husband had myelofibrosis and needed a bone marrow transplant. It culminated in my husband receiving treatment only to find out on Day 93 out of his Day 100 recovery that the occasion to celebrate changed when an innocent lump was found—soon an unbelievable diagnosis of leukemia cancer. From beginning to end, the journey would last almost 2 years, with months in & out of the City of Hope hospital (LA) with chemotherapy & radiation treatments. At that time, our families and church members were numbly comforted by the fact that God walked with us through the valley of death and we would see each other one day in the heavenly realms. Though my own family plus extended family members have much more to share, what stands out in our minds to this day is despite the chaos and uncertainty of the circumstances that our hope & peace could only come from a faithful God.
How is that possible? The rhetorical question is how can something bad happen to good people? I can recall reading in Genesis 50:20 in the Bible the story of Joseph & his brothers coming to light. Joseph admonishes his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” What is God’s purpose for our lives? At that moment when my husband passed away, later followed by my sister-in-law, then much later my youngest sister (due to unrelated cancers), it was hard to fathom what good was coming out of all these circumstances that rocked our families. Rather than completely falling apart or blaming one another, as family members we chose instead to stand united with perseverance and power in faith. The years of spending time together sharing our faith and time as families, both fun and serious, had resulted in drawing closer to God. Yes, family is forever. It was a testament to others who experienced our very public journey of overcoming cancer with commitment to God. Personally, spending time with God in solitude, healing of a broken heart through the support of Griefshare, and seeing a glimpse of God’s purpose has given me light and direction. I write this on a day that my husband passed as a remembrance of moving forward, if not for the greater good to tell others of a faithful God who loves us despite our flaws. Living life on earth isn’t easy; it isn’t meant to be easy because we need God in our lives. If there is a need to talk/pray about grief/loss of a loved one, or any type of loss, please contact Trinity or steer in my direction on a Sunday. I’ll take you out for tea or coffee and promise that I won’t scald myself like the past. After all, your story is unique.
-Rose To
