When Life Gives You Lumps is an inspiring post. As a general rule, I don’t like lumps.
When Life Gives You Lumps
Lumpy oatmeal.
Lumpy Gravy.
Then there are other lumps. Lumps so personal that this is where I tell you that I didn’t want to write this post.
The thought of writing about this private subject resulted in a huge lump in my throat every single time.
But God persisted. Every week He would silently tap me on the shoulder. Every week I would tell him “No.”
This past week He added, “But someone really needs to read this” in addition to His tap.
Sigh, I should know better than to argue.
So here we are.
Back to discussing lumps, I don’t like.
Particularly when they have the potential to wreak havoc on health and lives.
The Tortoise
I have a mammogram every single year.
But a lump was found during an examination for something else.
I walked around for a week and a half without telling a single soul what the doctor had discovered.
This is not an uncommon practice for me.
I can be a bit like a turtle/tortoise, pulling inward, when things like this happen.
There may be subtle changes that may hint that I’m dealing with something big, but generally, I am going to do my best to hide within myself hoping nobody will notice.
But don’t worry, I had plenty of conversations with God.
You probably think that I was playing this game…
But I wasn’t. I didn’t.
I have lived through many a mean season.
So even though it felt as if negativity was coming at me from every angle and a small part of me wanted to scream “Really God? Was having issues such as A, B, C and D not enough of a trial for me?”
Thankfully, I’ve learned a lesson or two in the past.
I’ve learned that sometimes when we get off track God may allow us to be taken to a low place so that we can be reminded to lean on Him.
So instead of angry accusations and questions…
The Final Roller Coaster
I acknowledged that I just needed Him to see me through whatever I was currently experiencing and what I might possibly go through in the future. It gave me the peace I needed while waiting endlessly for other appointments.
The final roller coaster had me going through test after test, all alone, for three hours. Panic started to seep in a bit as the tests seemed like a hill climbing ever higher. A swift downward spiral, followed by a curve and then it was over.
Benign.
Life is a highway~ filled with lumps, bumps, twists, and turns.
It’s a heck of a lot easier to endure the ride with God as your co~pilot.
Afterward, I could give thought to lumps I liked.
Lumps that made me laugh.
Lumps of sugar.
But I think my favorite is a lump of coal.
May you shine like a diamond this week,
Laura
“You know that under pressure, your faith is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so that you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.” ~ James 1:3-4
Praise God for the Great outcome. You are definitely a diamond shining brightly for everyone that knows you.
So very thankful the lump was benign. May God richly bless your family this weekend.
I'm happy your outcome was benign, Laura.
Laura, so glad for a good report. You expressed so well how we all feel. It is so hard we freeze up and want to run.
My bloglovin isn't working anymore for some reason and I'm not getting your blog regularly. I couldn't find an email sign up on your blog. I resisted for so long signing up for email updates but now I realize I need that even though it requires so much deleting. How do you feel about that? Anyway, I struggle to have the time to read and comment on all the blogs I want to read and yours in one of them.
Great post Laura. I'm so happy to hear that you are okay. I'm at a point in my life where I am very angry at God and I'm trying my best to work through it. Thanks for the inspiration.
hugs,
Sissie
Thank heavens your outcome was ok!! I've been there too and it's so incredibly frightening.
Very happy the result was benign. Thank you for expressing so eloquently how many of us feel during times of stress and worry. Ann
God is good!
Thank for sharing your “lumpy” ride. You give us a glimpse into your private life and it has encouraged many of us!
Blessings!!❤
Praising God along with you for a good outcome! Laura, I hope you know that I will pray for you without knowing the reason anytime you desire prayer. Just shoot me an email and I'll get right on it. I believe that prayer support is the most important thing during times of uncertainty, turmoil, confusion. Whatever curves life throws at us. Thank you for sharing so eloquently your experience. I know it will be a help and encouragement to others.
I'm happy to hear that your biopsy was negative ~
YAY!!!
Sending you a hug.
What a perfect post to read on a Sunday morning.
Thank you for your witness, Laura.
And Praise God for all the good news this time around.
And I am sooooooooooo doing that snow ghosts thing next time it snows enough around here. Probably next year, save up the glow sticks from halloween 70% off…………….I am so there with that, haha.
Hugs and prayers-
Michele
Oh, Laura how I can relate to everything you just wrote. I'm SO glad everything turned out. But boy the misery we go through until we hear differently. Thank you always for your posts. God bless your day and upcoming week.
Mary S.
Dear Laura,
So glad your results were benign and that you're fine. 🙂
Yes, me – I needed to read this post tonight. I am struggling greatly. My Mom's Alzheimer's dementia is rapidly progressing now and she is in a constant state of having TIAs. Tomorrow I'll be on the phone again to try to get the appointment with the Neurologist specialist moved up to this week or next, as the results of her CT scan on Friday morning were not good and resulted in the dreaded call from her primary care doctor's office within an hour of the appointment. My sisters and I didn't need the results to know that things are going rapidly wrong now and having been through this before with my husband's Mom – we know the outcome. There is no solution, there is no cure or fix for her condition.
Love, Linda
Laura,
No words to express my relief for you… I had a scare one year many years ago and had to go back for another mammogram on my birthday. Fortunately, my husband was there with me for the second mammogram. My grandmother had breast cancer and died; my mother had breast cancer caught early and survived. I can still feel the relief. So, thank God for your good report and the relief that followed.
Judith
Laura – such a timely post for me as I sit in the hospital with my young daughter (week 3) watching her sleep…getting more than our fair share of nasty lumps…but hoping for good news at the end of the story. 🙂
Oh boy, Laura! Stay off line for a few days and look at all you miss. I am so very grateful that your lump was benign. I know that terror and concern — I've had a very similar experience in the past. Every bad story we know from our histories comes back to haunt us during those times and we hope, we pray and we've both been fortunate. I am so, so, so relieved to get this good news. Blessings.
Oh Laura, I am so thankful it tuned out to be benign. It is scary, I have had it happen to me. All you can do is cry in gratitude to the Lord. Bless you sweet lady.
So pleased you are ok. Seems like every woman's fear. My mom was not so lucky but hers was not caught soon enough. Enjoy your day! Mary in Az
Scary! So glad you are ok. I know God uses trials to grow our faith and strengthen us and draw us closer to Himself, but I still find myself shrinking from them and wishing there was a shortcut. 🙂 I have to remind myself that, whatever He allows, He'll provide the grace for.
I am so grateful that your outcome was a positive one…I never know if “positive” or “negative” is the right term to use when the subject is cancer, but you know what I mean! Please don't be a turtle when something like this happens in your life, because God rallies a good squad of cheerleaders for us when we need it.
Warm hugs,
Carol