Those of you who know me personally have heard this story before, I’m sure, but please bear with me while I share it again.

7 years ago this month, I was a senior in college: applying to graduate schools, planning my wedding. My brother had left to serve a mission for our church across the country. Then, my father passed away suddenly. Five weeks after that, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, and a week later my brother was sent home from his mission because of an injury.

I was overwhelmed. I was 2.5 hours from my mother, my brother needed intensive PT, and my sister was still in high school. Many times, it seemed too much for our family to handle.

I do not believe in the adage “God doesn’t give you more than you can handle,” though I do believe that God helps us handle what we are given.

During that time of intense trial, we were blessed with miracles. My mother’s cancer going into remission was certainly the biggest blessing, of course, but our community stepped up to support our family in ways I could not have anticipated. Her friends formed Team Regina and set up a website to coordinate acts of service: rides to chemo, meals, someone to decorate for Christmas, etc. Our friends and church members lifted us up. Other churches got involved. We knew people cared.

I saw and felt God in every person who loved our family. I saw God working through every one of them to lift us up. To me, that is a miracle. We were able to make it through that very difficult time because of all the prayers. I could never thank our little town and church enough.

Two weeks ago, we learned that my mother’s cancer is back; this time it has metastasized. I flew to NC to be with her. She had an emergency surgery and now that she is improving I am back home and my sister has taken time off school to move in and help her.

Please, we need your prayers/good thoughts. We were blessed with miracles before, and I am asking for them again. I am at my lowest point. My mother is my best friend. She is one of the most important people in my life. We need strength to get through whatever is going to happen, and right now I need to borrow yours.

If you pray, please pray. If you don’t, please send up whatever good and comforting thoughts that you can. We need a whole lot of love right now.

(Also, for those of you who might know my Mom, PLEASE do NOT put anything on her Facebook wall!!! That means tagging her in posts/comments or writing directly on her wall. I’m sure you can understand the desire to keep work/personal life separate and like many people, she has both work and personal contacts on her FB account.)