GOD CONTINUES TO PROVIDE: MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO THE RESCUE

I feel like I need to back track a little because with the last post suddenly I am up in Baltimore getting treatment with a lot of things happening.  Of course, I believe that I must continue to give God his glory and mention just how he has work through so many people to get me where I am: spiritually as well as physically, emotionally, and mentally.  Currently, I feel so totally surrendered about everything that God has planned for me.

Treating cancer can never be faced alone.  It takes a village—an army of God to fight the spiritual battle with you.  Even Paul had asked for prayers from his brothers.  Prayers are a part of our armor of God – a weapon of righteousness. 

Ephesians 6:12, 18-19 (NLT) 

12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places…

18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. 

19 And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike.

God has done such glorious work through my family.  They have been phenomenal with their prayers as well as continually giving and serving me.  Whenever I have expressed my deep appreciation for what they do, they say “because you are family.”  They have gone up and beyond in all that they provide for me.  In fact, they are so quick to serve me that a few times, I have had to ask them to slow down since it takes me a bit longer to process things.

I currently live in Williamsburg, VA with my mom and dad.  My brother, B, with his wife Susan and my younger sister Jeri, with her boyfriend Ken and two of her children, Celeste, and Ben live in Williamsburg as well.  My older sister, Cindy, her husband Bill, and my oldest nephew (Jeri’s oldest son), Perry, live in California.  My nephew, Ian, B’s son, lives with his mom, Pam, also in Williamsburg.  I have another nephew, Thomas, who is Susan’s son, who lives in Oklahoma.

This is a list of just a few things that they have done for me since my diagnosis: (Please note that since a lot of things have been done behind the scenes, I may not have declared the proper credit to whomever deserves it.  But this is what I have observed.)

1. B, Jeri, and Cindy have purchased me a bed with an adjustable base. For those of you who don’t know, it is very difficult to breathe lying flat on your back when you have lung cancer.  My mom and dad have purchased the bed linens since this twin bed has replaced my parent’s queen-sized bed that was originally in the room.

2. B has driven me to Baltimore several times already. He is an excellent driver and knows the area well. 

3. B and Susan purchased two hotel rooms for the five of us—Christine and me in one room and Jeri, Susan, and him in another. B also had treated us to dinner that night.  The hotel was beautiful, and it was so good to be surrounded by loved ones.

4. B, Susan, Jeri, and Christine took me to my first set of doctors’ appointments at JH. Since I was only allowed to bring 2 visitors with me to my appointment.  Jeri carried two phones with her so that with FaceTime, B and Susan and Cindy could participate in the appointment as well.

5. On January 3rd, B and Susan drove me up to Baltimore with all my stuff so that I could move into the Hope Lodge. Since radiation treatment is scheduled every day for about 2 weeks, it was best to move up here for a short time.  They also treated Erica (I will mention who she is to me a little later) and me to a nice dinner.  They stayed overnight to be with me during my biopsy the next day.

6. On December 22nd, Christine and I had to take a train from Baltimore to Richmond. We arrived there late that night.  Ken and Jeri had picked us up from the station and drove us back to Williamsburg.  Jeri and Christine coordinated this quickly because of my need for a last-minute Radiation Simulation (SIM) appointment.

7. Jeri has helped me with being on task with my FMLA paperwork, with making certain that I keep my benefits from work, such as health insurance, and with researching what my life insurance may offer in terms of a loan if needed. She also checks with me very often on finding out about my doctors’ appointments and how they went.

8. Cindy has offered to be my caregiver when I am in Baltimore getting treatment anytime that I need one. She has also generously contributed to my Baltimore food funds.

9. My mom and dad have showered me with a lot of food and additional funds to purchase more food during my stay in Baltimore.

The demonstration of God’s great love does not stop there.  He has also blessed me with the best of friendships and his kingdom on earth—his body of believers, his church. 

Typically, people tend to look to their children or to their spouses for emotional and physical support.  I have no children and my husband, LaMont, and I are currently separated.  As I have shared above, I have a very supportive family, but there are a lot of health needs in my family, like with my mom and dad being elderly and dealing themselves with their own cancers, so at times there are limitations as to what my physical family can do.

This is where God comes in and provides me with an overwhelming number of great friendships and people with the most beautiful servant-type of hearts.  I have not only received tremendous amount of help from friends that I am really close to, but also from “strangers”.

Christine has been there in so many ways for me.  She is my safe person and discipleship partner.  Since 2019, she has helped me in my relationship with God, guiding and directing me to scriptures and different insights to what God wants to reveal to me.  She has been the one who had driven me to a lot of my appointments before my diagnosis of lung cancer, and she was the one who stayed with me at the last minute for my second visit at JH.

On December 21, 2022, B, Susan, Jeri, Christine, and I went up for my first set of doctors’ appointment at JH.  As I mentioned, Jeri had brought up two phones so that B and Susan and Cindy could be part of the appointment with the doctors.  When I started getting stressed in my interactions with my family during the appointment, Christine helped me to calm down and to see things in a different perspective.  She had called it “Kim speak”, because she had to translate what my family and the doctors were saying.  She had to reel me back to reality several times during that whole stay. 

Christine was also very resourceful when we found out that I needed to come back to the clinic the following day for my SIM appointment.  Since my family was not able to stay with me, Christine not only booked a hotel room for our overnight stay, but she and her husband, Dwight, arranged a train ride for Christine and me to get back home.

It is because of Christine that I can share my story on this website.  She told me about Caring Bridge, and she also coordinates the website and it different features.  Thank you, Jesus, for her help!  I am in such great need for her assistance since at times, I am a bit of a dinosaur when it comes to doing things on the internet.

Then there is Erica.  I hope to be able to write a whole post about her.  She is the daughter of Delia, who was my best friend when I lived in Durham, NC.  I had lived with Delia and Erica for about 8 years before I married LaMont in August 2003.  Erica says that I helped to raise her both physically and spiritually.  I had not ever seen it that way because I was the one who desperately needed a safe place to stay and that is what Delia and Erica provided for me at that time.  Delia had a special talent in helping me to sort through my feelings and in redirecting me to God and his Word.  I miss her terribly since Erica and I lost her in 2011.

Erica is staying up here with me in Baltimore.  She knows the area well and she drove all the way from Charlotte, NC.  I am enjoying every moment that I get with her, and she does such an excellent job of taking care of me.  She has introduced me to so many new things.  We are trying to develop a “bucket list” of things to do before we leave Baltimore.

God has also used his church to help me with my needs.  When I knew that I was going to Baltimore, I had reached out to Dionne Davis, who leads the women in the Greater Baltimore church.  She provided me with phone numbers of different sisters who worked at JH, and we all had a chance to talk one time before I came up.  When Christine and I were “stuck” up in Baltimore on December 22nd, I reached out to the sisters to see if we could get some help with rides.  We needed a ride to the hospital in the morning and then we needed a ride to the train station.  Sherese, whom I had not ever spoken with before, arranged for two different sisters to meet our needs that day. 

Jennifer and Doug Lambert, who retired from the ministry and moved to Williamsburg VA, had previously led the church in Baltimore.  Jennifer is a pancreatic cancer survivor.  She told me the most encouraging thing of all: Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (HS) and sometimes, you need to listen to the HS and your body.  It is okay if you need to rest.

The evening before I was leaving for Baltimore, my Bible Talk, known as “The Burg” got together to pray for and encourage me.  It was a beautiful “sendoff”. 

I continually receive such encouraging texts with daily scriptures from Ignacio and the S.A.G.E. sisters as well as Teresa, a sister from the Philadelphia church.

All that I have mentioned are just a few things that God has done in providing me with all that I need.  I have seen him work miracles in the scheduling of my various appointments and have been amazed by how quickly I have been seen.  I must praise God for all the staff at Riverside Peninsula Cancer Institute and the knowledge that God has provided me with my work there.  I continually see how intricately involved God has been in my life to get me to where I need to be today: lifted up and excited about the new adventures and miracles that he has in store for me tomorrow.  To God be the glory.  Amen!

COMMENTS WHEN BLOG WAS FIRST POSTED ON CARING BRIDGE SITE:

Aleyah Pankey: Kim this is such a beautiful post about how great God is. You have amazing family and friends. He provides for us in all situations. He puts the people we need in our lives at just the right time. Amen!

Tina Nicholson: Kim, it's truly wonderful how God has used people in your life to minister to you. What a tremendous encouragement that must be!

Jeri Franz: WHAT A WONDERFUL POST!! Praise the LORD! FOR GOD IS GREAT AND THE ULTIMATE HEALER!! WE ALL LOVE AND ARE PRAYING FOR YOU, KEEM!! BIG HUGS AND LOTS OF KISSES from the Burg!!