Photo credit: Rebekkah DuBois
Last year I lay in the hospital bed, weak and weary. The doctor came in and said I had acute anemia. He said I needed a blood transfusion!
I laughed out loud!
This can’t be real! I need a blood transfusion!!!?!!!
As this started to sink in, I looked at Zack, who was offering to give his blood for me. I listened to them talk about the possibilities. I was so feeble yet I was aware. It occurred to me that Zack was a blood type that could donate to me, O+! (Yes, we had figured this out years ago, in preparation for the craziness of our world then! We tested our family to see what blood type everyone had back then.)
And NOW I knew Zack could donate to me!
We both were leery of blood donations in Mexico. But since we were in Mexico, Zack could donate to me! They tested him and set it up. He went to a blood bank near by and took out a unit. Two days later it was coursing through my veins. He said he felt fine. I was very thankful.
After another two days, they tested me and I was still very low and needed at least one more unit, maybe two. 10 or higher was the goal. And I started at a 7. Now I was 8 point something. Zack talked to the doctors outside the door. He came back in victory. They were convinced to let him donate again for me. They tested him first then sent him to a different clinic to donate another unit. They do have laws in Mexico that you are not allowed to donate again for 56 days, but they worked around this for me. (Thank you God!)
Zack and I prayed that that would be enough for my body to start building up blood again. Again, he made the trip to a clinic across town and gave his blood for me. Only because God had opened this door for me to go to Mexico for treatment for cancer was this possible! It was all God.
After the second transfusion there were positive changes in my body. I slowly started to feel better. They tested my blood again and found that I was at 9.4.
I was not quite where they wanted me, but they were willing to let my body figure out the rest. I had good nutrition happening, good supplements, IVs of vitamin C, and a few other bags of stuff leaking into my body during this time at the clinic. Like treatments of Hyperbaric chamber, Indiba, Near Infrared lights and other light treatments, The Vibe machine for lymphatics, and more. They tested again in a week and my blood was climbing higher 9.8. they were happy and I was still slow but getting better energy than before.
The life is in the blood. Leviticus 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.
Of course, this refers to the sacrifices the Israelites offered to God but it was a type and a shadow of Christ’s sacrifice for us, later in scripture.
This past weekend, I was struck with the sacrifice my man made for me. He gave me his blood! Which holds life! I had thought about this before but not like this! I looked at it like now we truly are one-flesh. He shared something so intimate with me, and he willingly did it.
But yesterday I was overwhelmed with the fact that this was life-blood that he gave me when I was so weak and incapacitated. And that I intimately knew the donor, and he willingly gave it to me. This is a picture of us and Christ and His sacrifice on the cross.
He finds us when we are weak and feeble. And gives us His life blood that He shed on the cross. Only His transfusions work like a miracle and instantly give us new life. We still have to heal and figure our what to do with this new life.
When we realize the great sacrifice Jesus made it is humbling and life changing!
When I realized the sacrifice my husband made for me, I was deeply moved by his love for me again! The time in worship yesterday when this all came to me, was a sweet time of tears, and thankfulness, knowing that if it didn’t happen that way, I would have a different outcome today. In life, in love, and in my heart. God wanted to change so many things in there!
A year before the transfusions, I had thought in my heart that I had been through enough hard things in my life, Lord. That I was “done” and could live the rest of my life with God and serve others out of my experiences with Him. He wasn’t done! This cancer, was the hardest thing for me. He got my full attention and I was screaming “uncle” from the pain, humiliation and suffering. He was trying to shake me awake. He wanted to take me places that I didn’t know He wanted to go! By the time I got to the clinic, I had opened up my heart to Him and said anywhere You want to go Lord. I’m willing to grow, learn and change.
He took me on amazing adventures again! And worked in my family as my heart has been changed by Him. Old dogs can learn new tricks and even the dogs under the master’s table get to feast off the crumbs that fall there! I am humbled by God’s loving kindness and His greatness.
About 3 years ago I was talking with my man and a word slipped out of my mouth to him. I called him “Legendary.” It was a curious word. And I thought to myself, is that how I feel about Zack? I had to be honest, it wasn’t exactly how I felt about him at the time. But I felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit to hold onto that word and bless my husband with it whenever I could. We had a good marriage. It lacked little, but after gently showering him with this word on occasions that I felt he needed encouragement or the Spirit prompted, I began to see changes in my perspective of him; a softening in me and a respect for him. And added bonus: I began to see him walking a little more upright in his posture. I think it opened up possibilities for him to be legendary in his mind too. Our marriage grew gently and slowly into a very sweet spot. Then cancer happened to me and I saw my husband bloom into this legendary man! I have to say he is my legendary man now and can mean it with all my heart!
Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands. Proverbs 14:1
(I picture a woman tearing down a major supporting wall in her house; to the point of it all come crashing down on her. Or I see a sound structure, and she is adding onto her home in a beautiful way)
She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. Proverbs 31:26
(I remember praying this as a young wife and mother, thinking is that even possible???)
Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. Proverbs 18:21
( I think it is so significant that the proverb has the word “Death” first. Because that’s my/our default. As women, I think it’s easy to speak death out of our hearts than life. We are critical first. We think we are helping by pointing out the flaws and places that need to or could change for the better. And then as the proverb says we have to live in that fruit. We will get criticized, and have our flaws pointed out to us as we live. Death! Or we can live in life if we speak life! )
We can choose to listen to the Holy Spirit help us speak life to our spouse, or we can just let them have what’s on our tongue. Choosing life, takes more intention, time, and sometimes “feels” fake. But when you couple speaking life with prayer, the outcome will have faith and hope working with it. Then God is completely free to move within the places you have invited Him into. And can work in both hearts.
I am always so amazed at how God works in my heart; because my heart is desperately wicked and deceitful. But when He comes in and rearranges things and gets rid of the trash and cleans it up a bit, declutters, and refreshes it by opening up the windows and doors, I can see better and hear better and speak better, then the fuller of life I am; the more life I have to give to others.
Zack is my legendary man! God made that happen! All glory, honor, and praise go to God!