The Equalizer

It's been said that cancer is the great equalizer. No matter the color of skin, size of paycheck or number of candles on the birthday cake, cancer's not discerning of the next body it attacks. Because of this "equalizing", emotional walls we've built come crumbling down with others who are in the same "cancer boat." I've found that one of the most wide open doors to another person's heart is in a doctor's waiting room, lab or hospital. Maybe I was catching them just before hearing results of a scan, post-surgery, infusion or labs. If my eyes & ears were open to another, emotions would flow from their hearts, to me, a stranger!

I learned from the Lord thru this year to really, really watch & listen to people He put before me. I was sure if I listened to Him, I could be encouraging to other patients as they faced their illnesses. Sure enough, as I was waiting in the ladies' locker room for radiation one day, a lady came in I'd not seen before. She was in her early 50's, about 5 feet tall & very thin. Her face was weathered & worn & her ponytail was windblown from the motorcycle ride she'd made into treatment.

She & I looked different outwardly but shared something far more intimate than outward appearance. We shared cancer. As we sat in that ladies' locker room awaiting radiation, it really didn't matter who we were, where we came from or what we did for a living. It didn't matter how much money we made, who our parents were or what college we attended. We were just two ladies whose lives collided one day.

There is no time to lose in those waiting rooms. There's an acute awareness of time & people & illness. I found out very quickly she had colon cancer. After saying our hello's & determining the kinds of cancer we each had, she stood up & opened her hospital gown to me, revealing her bare, scarred up body. Besides chemo & radiation, she'd had had 24 surgeries in 3 & a half years! Her torso looked like a battle field! It was really unbelievable & incredibly humbling for me to witness such openess from a person I'd not met until moments earlier! For as hard as my journey's been this year, I felt it mild in comparison to her's!

The first thing I did was thank her for trusting me enough to show me her body & scars. As she closed up her gown, I asked her if she knew Jesus. She not only knew Him, but loved & followed Him! She was walking every step of her cancer journey with God & discussed Him openly. She was a strong believer & we had a immediate bond. We had two bonds, actually. The cancer bond & the Lord. The person I thought I'd be encouraging flipped that around in a heartbeat. She lifted my spirits with her great attitude & love for God. Her smile reminded me that God loves all of us. He cares about all people of all colors & walks of life. He saves in all economies.

Ever imagine how colorful heaven will be? I mean all the different people there? I can say with my whole heart, there will be a tattooed, weathered lady I will look up when I get there! She won't be sick anymore & we'll praise our God forever- together- when we have all the time in the world!

Yes, cancer is a great equalizer but it doesn't compare to God's love!

Blessings!