This week I've been reminded over and over the graces of God. An older gentleman I work with is enduring the harshness of chemotherapy to beat the return of this cancer spreading through his body. As it is with these treatments his strength can only hold out for so long and when it gives out we, as his work family, need to support him and be there for him. In this case it is covering his shifts when we is to weak to make it through. In my case it was giving up days off. As with always there are twists you never expect.
As you work overnight, when you are used to sleeping, it takes time for your body toadjust and jumping back and forth from day to night it can be almost unbearable. Sunday morning as I was driving home I nearly fell asleep several times as I sped down the highway. Too scary for me. The next night i decided to tke the bus...no fear in that commute home. My manager told me that she would make sure I would get Monday off so I could sleep and recover....and then called several hours later. The coworker who was supposed to work the late night shift had to call off. his mother had a stroke....and I needed to step in. Again....I made my way into work, much to the surprise of Hubby when he came home to find me gone. He called laughingly requesting reservations....uh not funny.
However, another friend from the reservation center spent a few hours talking to me as I processed the paperwork. He told me he had cancer and being morbidly obese he was struggling. He is due for surgery soon. He sat while we spoke of the love of our Savior. Though he isn't of my faith we've held many deep talks and had a friendship that has become so amazingly important to me. When he came to visit he brought something he said reminded him of me. It is a new cutsie little lunch bag with a fabulouso black and white pattern embroidered with the phrase "Embrace Each Day" in Raspberry pink. It is so cute. He told me that is the one thing he remembers about me with all of his doctor visits and treatments. He has chosen to embrace each day of his life and we both made a pact to continue to embrace the highs and lows of our lives and pull ourselves closer to the Lord.
Whatever obstacles we face we need to embrace the love around us....embrace the strength of the Lord....and embrace our own selves, the good and the bad....but just embrace ourselves.
