Scheduling Surgery

Updates: 

• An enlarged lymph node attached to my lung has been a source of mystery for a few weeks now. I have had a series of tests that were all inconclusive. To determine the next steps for my treatment, a more invasive biopsy is required. 
• Originally the plan was for me to have surgery by Friday. However, I had to undergo more testing this past week to make sure I was ready for the surgery. (Chemo can have a wide range of side effects which make having an invasive surgery more complicated than normal!) Surgery is now scheduled for early next week. 

Prayer Requests and Praises:

• A lot of testing has taken place and honestly my body feels weak. Please pray for physical strength before, during, and after my surgery next week. 
• Please pray for a clear diagnosis to come from this biopsy.  

What I am Learning: 

• The Bible tells us that Jesus “set his face” toward Jerusalem (Luke 9:51). Jesus knew the real dangers ahead. He wasn’t blind to them nor overly optimistic. He knew the depths of the torment he would experience. How was he able to face such darkness? Jesus looked ahead with resolute determination to the “joy” that he would experience on the other side of suffering (Hebrews 12:2).
• Jesus actively chose to go to the cross, and he did so with the end goal in view. It was for the joy set before him that he endured the cross and despised the shame. When preparing for invasive surgery, I am learning trust in the sovereign care of Christ, who endured much worse. His wisdom is best. 
• I am not sure what trials you are facing but set your face like flint to embrace them with God-filled joy. As Jerry Bridges has helpfully stated, “Trust is not a passive state of mind, but a vigorous act of the soul by which we choose to lay hold of the promises of God and cling to them despite the adversity that seeks to overwhelm us.”

What Has Been Encouraging: 

• This might sound a bit silly, but there are two daily calendars that have been encouraging to me. These are Jenny’s calendars that she reads from daily. They are filled with biblical truth, and I enjoy reading them each morning when Jenny flips them. 
• The first is called Femina and you can buy it here.
• The second is Elisabeth Eilliot: A Heart for God and you can buy it here.