Over the years dealing with hundreds of people going through the trials of "cancer", I've had many, many opportunities to meet very interesting and very unique people. For instance, about 3 weeks ago, I had an encounter with Shirley. As she sat in her chair, tears streaming down her face and fumbling with her blanket, I felt compelled to go to her and she was having trouble separating her blanket so she could cover her cold body up. I helped her then as I hugged her, I whispered into her fragile little ear, "God loves you very much and He cares that you are here!" Of course that started an almost "never ending" conversation to which she received peace in her day.
I've made several friends during my treatments in chemotherapy, because that's just who I am. A loud-mouthed, wanna be, know-it-all, and I want everyone else to know it too. I'm talking about Jesus Christ of course.
One of the friends I've considered very close, even though our relationship only lasted about 7 months was Dennis. Dennis and I have had conversations (mostly about God) and laughed together and began a relationship that "clicked" so quickly, our wives were attempting to schedule our chemo on the same days and close to the same times so we would be able to have time to visit together.
Yesterday was another day we had scheduled together and I was really looking forward to it. While they were poking me with a needle, my wife, Barb got a phone call. It was from Dennis' wife, April. She told Barb that Dennis would not be coming to chemo as he was in the hospital and it REALLY DID NOT look good. So before I go any further with my friend Dennis, let me pause here and explain a small portion of this GIANT two word scripture I quoted.
One of Jesus' closest friends had died and Jesus was a few villages away. When He was summoned about the death of His good friend, Lazarus, He tarried yet a couple more days and finally stood before the grave of Lazarus where He carried on a conversation with Martha (she was "not at all" pleased that Jesus was so long in arriving). In John 11:25, 26 Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" Martha's response said everything that Jesus expected as Martha's faith was first of all, limited and secondly, it was a fundamental faith. She had mentioned earlier that had Jesus been there, her brother would not have died, describing her "limited" faith. Her response to Jesus was in verse 27, "Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world." So her response sounded a little like a "canned presentation" she'd learned perhaps in Sunday school.
Jesus was looking for the "Unlimited Faith" that would have caused HER to order the stone rolled away because the Christ was here and prepared to perform a miracle.
So what does this really have to do with me and my good friend Dennis? Well we asked my nurse to speed up the treatment for me as we needed to go directly to the hospital, our friends, Dennis and April needed us. When we arrived, my precious friend was already being kept alive artificially by machines which were April's request. She wanted Dennis to hear from me before passing. I leaned down close to his ear and reminded him that "Jesus wept" because of the limited and fundamental faith of believers, two of which, we were NOT. I explained that Jesus was standing at the opening of his grave waiting for the opportunity to retrieve his Spirit from his body. He was free and able to go home at any time, and that he should just expect to see Jesus Christ, his Lord as he arrived.
Within moments the nurses came in and removed all of the artificial devices that were keeping Dennis here and I believe that within a minute, two at the most, MY GOOD FRIEND, was receiving the biggest "bear hug" he had ever experienced.
So listen and I've said this before: "None of us are going to make it out of this alive.” However it is our strong faith, not our "limited" faith or our "fundamental" understanding of God's Word that causes us to believe. It is that still small voice that can only be heard by your heart that whispers, "I'm here, let go, I'll catch you." Lazarus came out of that grave in his resuscitated body, but Dennis came out of his in his resurrected, glorified body, ready to meet God face-to-face. Good bye, my wonderful friend and thanks for bringing me such joy. You will be truly missed; however I plan to see you again.
You’re Chemo Buddy, Dave
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