March 10, 2011

March 10, 2011


Time is moving along fast. I just noticed that it is already four weeks since my previous blog. My practice has been to provide an update every three weeks or so. Well, better late than not at all.



Six days ago we attended the memorial service of Helen Aikema. It was sad to note that one of our fellow cancer sufferers had lost the battle and had to leave her family behind. But at the same time we could express and realize that she was also victorious - in her Saviour, Jesus Christ. Her faith and confidence in Him has been and will be a great confidence and comfort for her husband and family. We were also pleased to see so many gathered together to join the family in memory of their wife, mother, grandmother and friend, while at the same time expressing thankfulness to God for limiting her suffering and taking her unto Himself into everlasting joy.



Over the past weeks I have been reading the book, Heaven, by Randy Alcorn. In it he writes about the fact that so many Christians appear to have a limited and even depressing understanding about heaven. At the same time he opens Scripture to reveal the many times and ways the Bible speaks about our long-term destination. It reminds me of the fact that our earthly stay is so short in comparison to the eternal bliss that awaits us who have the Spirit of God in our hearts.



This book has opened my eyes to much of what is revealed in the Bible about heaven but that I have never really understood or even looked at. I am thankful for the fact that I have been made aware of this book as it increases the desire to be with God and to experience the many things He has prepared for us on the New Earth.



In the meantime He continues to provide me with time here with family and friends - a wonderful blessing. It means that I still have things to do. My heavenly Father still has a task for me in this lifetime. I am thankful for that and hope to perform exactly those things He has prepared for me to do. I can say that often I am confronted by comments of others that show me that I do indeed still have things to do and that they are effective in one way or another. I am grateful for those comments and the assurance they give me.



I am presently in the first of two weeks off the chemo pill. It means that my body is busy restoring itself to better health after twenty eight days of the chemo pill. Even though the side effects of the chemo have been ameliorated by other medicine and a new pair of helpful shoes [with soles that allow me to walk on my arches rather than my heels and toes], these side effects still exist and do deteriorate the body. Each time of rest the body must restore itself from the painful feet, dryness of mouth, eyes, etc. Even though their is no nausea and reflux the body is still experiencing the effects of the chemo that would normally cause these things to happen; and thus it must be restored again as well. One can only wonder how long the body will continue to restore. Also that is in the hands of our heavenly Father.



We are grateful for the reduction in dosage of chemo to reduce the side effects some. At the same time we pray that remaining dosage continues to have the desired effects. As it looks now we will not get a good read on that until after the next chemo session of six weeks; meaning that we hope to have results of the next CT Scan in about seven weeks, around the end of April.



We continue to enjoy each day as a gift from God. As the body restores from the chemo we are able to lead a normal life until about midway the third week of chemo again. We pray that the Lord will give us the strength and wisdom we need to do the work He still has in store for us. We also pray for all of you to look to Him for your strength and purpose.



Praise Him from Whom all blessings flow.



Pieter de Boer