My Tribute To Her

Two years ago we only knew each other by name.  God had a plan to change that.  April 2011 it changed.  Mike was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a cancer similar to leukemia.  Less than two weeks later, she was diagnosed with leukemia.  We shared the same church, the same Sunday school class, the same friends.  We started the journey together.  Many days we would end up at CCI on the same day, sit in the lobby and laugh about life.  We joked about carpooling to Vanderbilt since we had the same doctors there, and how our friends would only have to make one trip to visit both her and Mike.  We talked about the island we would visit when they were both healed.  And every day, that same Sunday school class sent prayers for both her and Mike.  Those shared friends, the shared church, the shared body of Christ.  Jesus with hands and feet.  That’s what they were and are, to both our families. 

In early fall she went into remission and Mike headed for his toughest part.  October 28th Mike had his stem cell transplant.  She and her husband prayed for us, checked in on us, never gave up on us.  They walked this leg of our journey with us.  As Mike slowly made the turn to getting better after his transplant, she came out of remission. She began more chemo and headed toward her own transplant.  All the while, Mike getting better, her getting worse.   We prayed for them, checked in on them, never gave up on them.  Then came remission for Mike.  We celebrated.  After her transplant and long stay at Vanderbilt, she headed toward remission.  We celebrated.  But remission didn’t last for her.  Still, we all knew God had a plan.  We knew we would walk this leg of the journey together too.  As it turns out, God’s plan was not to heal her here on earth.  God took her home and healed her there.    

I don’t pretend to know God’s plan.  I just know he has one.  I don’t pretend to understand, but I still believe.  I believe He is only good.  I believe in what I can’t see.  She did too.  That’s what faith is and that’s what she had.  In the end, anytime you asked her what you could do for her, she would say, “Pray for a miracle. ”  Some will say she didn’t get her miracle because she didn’t get complete healing.  I disagree.  She is healed now, not on earth but in a better place.  Not only that, I believe we haven’t even begun to see the miracles from God on her behalf.  A miracle is not only an event that can’t be explained by human powers.  It’s not only healing when all medicine has failed to work. A miracle is also defined as a wonder; a marvel.  I believe her miracle is coming, bigger than anyone of us could have envisioned.  I believe we will see it in what her daughter does while on this earth, the lives that young girl will touch because of what she went through with her mom and the legacy that her mom left her.  I believe we will see it in her husband and how one day he will be able to minister to others when no one else can, because he understands their pain.  I believe one day we will see heaven more populated because of the faith of the three of them.

I don’t believe in coincidence.  I don’t believe in chance.  I believe in a God who is only good, who can only love and who has a plan for us.  He had a plan for our family to walk together with theirs that started a year and a half ago. We may not get to go on our island vacation together, but what a glorious vacation we will have when we meet again one day.   I don’t know what the rest of the plan looks like or where it will lead, but I am blessed because He chose for our families to journey it together.  Without a doubt, I believe that Michelle’s miracle is about to begin.

And because I don’t want to leave you on a sad note- I will share some chocolate with you.  When she was in the hospital I would make this candy and take it to her.  She always asked about it.   She was a tiny little thing with very little appetite so I don’t fool myself into believing that she ate all that chocolate candy!  But she was just gracious enough to make me think she loved it that much.  I suspect some doctors and nurses gained a few pounds from her dolling out my chocolate candy.  But nonetheless, I want to share the recipe with you. When you make it I hope you think of her and her great big smile.  I hope it makes you happy because it made me happy making it for her.

Crockpot Candy

2 jars salted dry roasted peanuts

1 (11.5 oz) semi sweet chocolate chips

1 (4 oz) package German chocolate bar, broken into pieces

2 lbs. Almond Bark chocolate (broken into pieces)

Pour peanuts in bottom of crockpot.  Place all chocolate on top of peanuts.  DO NOT STIR.  Cook on low for 2 hours.  After 2 hours stir until mixed.  Use spoon and drop onto waxed paper.  (You can freeze these for months.)