Brain tumors suck

I’ve been wasting time on Facebook and Pinterest, because I desperately don’t want to write what I’m about to write. I want to pretend today’s a day like any other, that nothing out of the ordinary is happening. I want to tell myself that what I know isn’t real – if I could just go back a week and live in that innocence, I would be very, very happy.

But once your mom emails you and says your aunt has a brain tumor, well, those words can’t be undone. You can’t ignore them and you can’t pretend your entire extended family’s lives aren’t completely altered. And I can’t write about the silly or mundane. At least not today. Because today, my Aunt Sue is having her brain opened up and a tumor removed.

The initial diagnosis is grade 4 glioblastoma brain tumor. That will be confirmed today and the plan of treatment will be developed after the surgery. But we know there are many long days ahead of difficult and unpleasant (to say the least) therapies.

You have to understand that this aunt is not just any aunt. This is the aunt who, along with her dear husband, has prayed for me since I was born. They have prayed for Sean, our children – I don’t think a day goes by that they aren’t praying for us and every other member of our extended family. They are deeply committed Christians who pray for others without ceasing and with great hope. And even in this horrible, horrible time, they are pointing all of us who have been the glad recipients of their prayers to the One they pray to. These are Uncle Johnny’s words:

We are grateful the Lord has provided a world-class brain surgeon to operate on Sue, but our ultimate trust is in the depths of God’s love for Sue, His grace, His wisdom, and His healing of her.  We want His will, His name and His glory to be magnified in all of this.

We have experienced the presence and peace of Jesus that could only come through His Spirit and the prayers of His people. Thank you for lifting us before the Father of all comfort, hope, and peace. We want to live this part of our journey is ways that honor Him and bring Him glory.

I covet your prayers for my aunt, her family and our whole extended family. After all the prayers Sue and Johnny have offered on my behalf, asking my friends to pray for them is the absolute least I can do.

Thank you for praying for them. I will keep you posted.

Sue and Johnny