All for His Glory: March 2015

What is normal anymore, these days? That’s the question I find myself asking lately. Cancer was the norm for awhile and then it was chemo. And now it is remission. But what does any of that mean anyways, in the grand scheme of life? Either way I still have to trust in the Lord with all of my heart, repent of trying to understand everything on my own, lay my concerns at the foot of His throne and rest in the promise that all of this will work out for our good in the end spite of what we are going through in the moment. And the thing I keep coming back to is how is that any different from the rest of the saints on planet earth?

I know that nearly every experience is different in some way from the others. But in the end isn’t the purpose still the same? Haven’t we all been called to suffer in this life as believers, to worship in adversity, trust in uncertainty and grow in the midst of our difficulty, as we are daily conformed to the image of Christ through the inward work of the Holy Spirit? So I guess what I am saying is, even though we have been blessed to pass through this particular valley is there not another one already waiting somewhere around the corner, to sanctify us a little bit more and solidify our restful dependence on the One who saved us? I think the answer you will agree is, Yes. Yes there is.

After all we were not saved to be comfortable here, but to rely upon and reflect the One who saved us & gave His life for us to bring us into deeper fellowship with the One who sent Him to restore the life of every man woman and child that would believe in His name. And what better way to do that for a sinful selfish individual than in the crucible of hardship and affliction. So while I am grateful for words like remission and transition, I am also cautious, not necessarily fearful of calamity, but weary of my propensity to avoid it at all costs.I do not want to be the person I was before our family went through this hardship. I do not want to grow stagnate in the belief that our own personal comfort and safety from illness and death is really a benefit, and the sole reason for God saving us.

I want to move forward in the reality that we are all pilgrims, as believers, called from the grave of sin and death to live lives of conformity to the will of the One who knew us and created us for Himself, when we were nothing but wretched and self-serving from the womb. And I guess I am sharing that with you so that you will join with us in sharing this same grandiose purpose. I want our journey as a Christian family to continue with or without the threat of death as a testimony to the faithfulness of God and His enduring grace. No matter what happens next, I want others to look at our lives and the sufficiency of Christ in them and say glory to the living God who was and is and is to come. Regardless of what difficulty or prosperity we may experience in the weeks and months ahead I want our lives to always only bear witness to Him and bring Him glory.

And I am sure you feel the same.

Now as for Cindy's health:

She is currently in recovery having just recently finished her last & final round of chemo last month. This means she is finally in remission. Praise the LORD! However because she was stage IV there is still a high probability of recurrence. So her Dr. said we shouldn't celebrate until after she has cleared the five year mark of being cancer free.

Unfortunately her body still aches a lot these days and it's very difficult for her to get up and do "normal" things. So her Dr. has also recommended that she take it very slow for the time being. That means she won't be able to take care of our children on her own just yet, at least not for the next few months anyway.

And in addition to this some of the side effects may also be permanent, like the bottom of her feet being numb (neuropathy), joint pain,..etc. But only time will tell. Her lungs are still continuing to heal as well.Her lung Dr. is hopeful that the damage is only short term and will subside with time. She still gets winded if she talks for long periods of time, or after going up & down the stairs (we live in a two story) or even when she tries to sing a worship song. So she needs to take it easy.

And these are only just a few of the challenges that lay before us in this season of transition.

A few basic prayer requests for our family would be:

For Cindy's continual emotional physical & spiritual well-being in this new transitional period
For Chris & Cindy as they re-adjust to married life together (those who've been here understand)
For the children's continued health
For wisdom to handle the normal challenges and changes of life in light of everything (Josiah preparing for school & Noah's development for example)
For financial assistance and availability for the nanny situation (at least till may or early June)
And finally that God would direct us as a family in this next phase of our lives, that we would submit to Him & follow HIS leading, without getting ahead of Him.

Thank you, all of you, for your continued prayer and support. It goes without saying that something like what we have all just gone through (and truthfully still are) will inevitably change you. And the one thing for me that has definitely changed is my growing appreciation for a godly supportive community. You have been my family's family through the greatest trial of its existence. And I want you to all know that we are both so thankful for you.

Lord bless each and everyone of you as you deepen in your own understanding of the sufficiency of Christ in whatever place you find yourselves in this life.

Sincerely,

The Broniste Family