Every Monday the “Monday Club” meets at the injection room at CBCC. We all are going through chemo and/or radiation and on Monday we get our shots. The three of us, Alice, Sharon, and myself find ourselves sitting next to each other and talking. So, I have decided that we need to start bringing “snacks” – I mean doesn’t a club have to have snacks?
Anyway, besides all of the cancer stuff we have in common, we also have Christ in common – for all of us our believers. That is the coolest thing about our club. I had heard both of them mention prayer, but let’s face it, once you hear you have cancer almost everyone starts to pray! Today’s conversation went deeper and ended in tears and hugs. Alice (probably in her 60s) told us that she had finished her radiation and chemo BUT they just found cancer in her stomach, liver and lymph nodes. She was trying to hold back the tears. She said that everyone asks her why she can still smile. Her answer, “I know where I’m going!” Sharon and I hugged her and said we did too!
You know, we continued to have a conversation that many would find strange. We talked about the beauty of dying – the gift of dying – because we knew that we would be living eternity in heaven. We all agreed that if it wasn’t about family still here, we might not worry about chemo and radiation, but tell our heavenly Daddy we are ready. We have nothing to fear. We don’t need or want to hold on to this earth. We know that our destiny – heaven – is where we want to be!
You could tell that some of the nurses and other patients were looking pretty strangely at us. They saw 3 woman – all with cancer – and a potential early death – and we were joking about “How about today God … good for you!” We were not in tears about dying, just the opposite. We were laughing and cheering because we know that we will die to this earth but our souls will be in heaven with our Creator forever. Is there any better way to live than to be excited about your death?
So, the “Monday Club” members got their shots and walked each other out to the cars. As we parted, we looked at each other with a “See you next week – if you are here!” No one knows “when his or her time is up”. Cancer can get you… a drunk driver… a heart attack or whatever. Your time on earth will come to an end. So, where are you going to go when you die? If you know where you going – like us in the “Monday Club” then you can live happy and carefree and without worry or fear. We enjoy life... Because we know our death is only going to bring us to heaven! Heavenly Daddy – you say when and we’re there!