Dancing with the Stars

Pink yogurt lids, pink candy ribbons on cookies and cupcakes.  Pink bracelets, necklaces and headbands.  Pink cleats and socks on athletes. As I walk up and down the isles of my grocery store, I am reminded that I can make a difference just by purchasing certain items that donate proceeds to benefit breast cancer research.  Panera has a special bagel that looks like a ribbon.  October is over, and I will miss the pink, although the color's meaning is never very far away for me.

 

Sometimes cancer has it’s benefits, and this week I was a special guest on Dancing With The Stars!  Karina Smirnoff and Apolo Anton Ohno invited four City of Hope cancer patients to watch the show from the floor and they dedicated their dance to cancer survivors.  They got a perfect score for their waltz to Rascal Flatts's emotional song about cancer, Skin (Sarah Beth). 

 

 

As you can imagine, it was an absolute thrill, and a once in a lifetime event to be seated next to Carrie Anne Anaba, and have Karina and Apolo be our special host.  For the record, Karina (and Apolo) were amazing hosts.  Karina especially was incredibly warm and generous.  She gave each one of us a costume bracelet right off her arm from the outfit she wore during her waltz.  I have been wearing it all week!

It was a wonderful gift after a very, very hard month.  October started with two weeks of mouth sores, my Dad back in the hospital for a few nights, Jon adjusting to lowered heart meds, a car accident, a computer starting to crash, and a twelve year old who rolls her eyes at everything and looks at us like we are freaks. 

It is somewhat odd that we all get so indignant when life goes off track.  We really think we are entitled to happiness, but in fact, we were never promised in the Bible that life would be easy for those who believe.  Actually, it is the opposite, we are told WHEN the storms come, or WHEN the valley of darkness is being traveled, we have God to walk us through.

 My women's Bible Study group is studying Corinthians.  A couple of weeks ago we saw in 1 Corinthians 3 that it is important to build a firm foundation, and to build with quality material.  I can attest to the fact that the best time to build a foundation is when it is not being shaken.  Studying God’s Word makes you strong before a trial of life shakes you to the core.  My foundation of faith kept me solid when the earthquake called cancer hit.  When faced with the greatest challenge of my life, there was no question or doubt that God’s promises were still true, and His love for me carried me through some very dark times.

 

The greatest story to drive home the importance of being ready for the trials of life came in 2009 when Captain Sully landed a plane in the Hudson River.  When the plane had a flock of birds fly into its engine, Captain Sully knew just what to do.  It took three minutes to do the following: 
 

Captain Sully immediately shut down the engines and disconnected the auto pilot and overrode the flight management system.  He activated the ditch system which seals vents so the airplane is water proof.  He set the air speed so that the plane could glide as long as possible.  He decided to land the plane in the Hudson and not a local airport.  He made a fast sharp left turn so the plane would land facing south with the flow of the river.  He put the nose down to maintain speed and then lifted it up right before the water landing so that the plane was level so he could land flat on the water.  Meanwhile he is giving orders to his crew and talking to the control tower. 
 

Ladies, I know what you are thinking at this moment……It is a miracle that a man could multi-task like a woman!!!!

 

 

Seriously, we need to ask if this is really a miracle.  Captain Sully had put in hundreds of hours on a flight simulator and had studied other plane crashes.  He flew gliders and trained new recruits on the procedures for an emergency landing.  He had years of experience so that in the midst of what for us would have been panic, for him it was acquired habits and calm choices.  Captain Sully had a flight plan, a solid foundation of knowledge.  When interviewed, He said that he felt he was prepared his entire life for this moment. 
 

Not every trial in life has us standing at the door of death.  We have learned that communicating correctly with neighbors, family, spouses, friends can be a challenge.  When you put this together with God's desire for us as believers, it is easy to feel as if doing God's will is too hard.  We are told we are the heirs to the Kingdom, but we certainly don't feel much like royalty.  As we study Corinthians, I am constantly being reminded that the things of this earth are not nearly as important as the Kingdom of God.   

 

 

Having the Kingdom of God on earth requires a lot of healing. A favorite song of mine is "Healing Rain."  It talks about rain coming down and washing us of the ungodly junk that dirties up our lives.  We are afraid of this washing, because it might take away a habit or idea that we like.  We are in need of a cleansing.  We need the Holy Spirit to tear away the sin that interferes with our relationship with Christ.  We, the believers, need to start looking different because there are lost people out there who will continue to be lost if we don't do something about ourselves that will make them want to know our Savior. 

 

 

 I wear my pink bracelet as a reminder of the cross I carry for Christ, and the foundation of love that exists between my Father and I.  Five years ago I thought I had lost everything, but now I look back and see that God was actually giving me a gift greater that I could have ever imagined.  He gave me a story that enabled me to be bold about my faith.  He called me to a ministry through my Blog. I have lots of friends and family that have no idea what they are missing by not following Jesus.  My deepest desire is that they will come to know the cleanliness that comes from being washed by Christ love. 

 
 

Build a strong foundation, and then use it to be who God intended for you to be.  We are are washed by the blood of Christ, we  need to act like it to the world.

Sandy