Well, if God could tap his foot while waiting for me to launch this support group, He would be tapping right now.
This has been a stop and go process for years it seems, but really this has been on the back burner for almost a year and as the new year has come upon us so does the start up (or at least the offer) for this new Biblically based cancer support group called FAITH, Firm Anchor In The Hope. . . . . phew
I am generally a real go-getter when an idea embeds itself in my mind. Not only do I go-get I become a bulldozer in my pursuits to get the idea going and off the ground. But something is different with this one; this idea has marinated for a while.
At first, I had great, grandiose plans. I worked on flyers, church bulletin inserts, letters and even asked my pastor for a character reference letter. I planned on putting together a packet of information to give to various pastors throughout our valley and hopefully from that be able to leave literature at their church kiosk. That seemed all so overwhelming to me. Then summer came, then in September we took our vacation. I just kept postponing the start up date.
In the fall I saw a friend from a Bible study group that we were in together last year and she asked me if my group had started up yet. I said, “no.” She said she felt there was a need for such a group in this area. (first push) Then at a Bible study I attend the lecturer said something profound that I just couldn’t shake off. “If I don’t do what God asks me to do then why would He continue to instruct me in what to do?” (second push)
I began to work earnestly in introducing FAITH to the public. I decided to simplify everything by just handing out flyers at my Friday women’s Bible study. So I approached the leader and she was happy to accommodate me and invited me to come to her three other studies to hand out flyers. Terrific! So much simpler and I figured nearly everybody knows somebody who has gone through cancer so I typed a little statement at the bottom on the flyer that says, “Please pass this on to someone who might benefit from this cancer support fellowship.” And hopefully from there the word will get out.
So that was in November, that month passes. Then the Christmas season is upon us and it is hectic with preparations and parties and guests so I thought it would be best to make my presentation in January. Well here we are, in January.
My third push came today. After church fellowshipping over coffee and cookies, a woman asked me how my cancer support group was doing. I asked her how did she know about this? And she said it was announced from the pulpit a while ago when I was not there. Oooo. I can know longer ignore the call to service.
This group, FAITH, was my passion and then I became overwhelmed, then I became lazy. Now it is time to act in faith that God has a plan even if I am a bit apprehensive if this is a needed ministry here in this valley. I am afraid that there will be no interest but I can’t ignore how God pushed me along and simplified the concept for me. I will make this Biblically based support group available and let Him bring cancer patient/survivors and caregivers, too, to this fellowship of support .
I want to serve God and I don’t want to waste my cancer experience. Stay tuned to see what happens, I’m passing out flyers this week!!
The Voice: a Christian cancer blog 