Dear family and friends,
WOW...what
a crazy few months it has been for myself, Drew, and the Darling
family. As I put together the "recipient" list for this e-mail, I
quickly realized how wonderfully diverse and far-stretched our support
is, and am reminded of how each of you have continued to pray for us,
care for us, and show your love (which has left us at a loss for words
time and time again).
As you all know, this past August I packed up my life
and headed to SC to begin a Master's degree program at the University
of South Carolina. Upon heading south I started a blog called, "The
Mustard Seed," in an attempt to keep everyone updated on my adventures
below the Mason-Dixon line. Below is an excerpt from my first
entry...
First, I know the burning question
you all have - "Where did she come up with the mustard seed?" Well,
it's quite simple. As I was packing fervently earlier this week, I
came across a necklace given to my by my aunt and uncle that has a
mustard seed in the pendant...I thought of the parable of the mustard
seed. From what I can remember, indeed the mustard seed is small, but
when it grows, it really grows - and if I'm correct, it can grow
among weeds and all other sorts of plants. I was reminded of the
thought that even as the mustard seed starts small, it quickly grows
into a flourishing and sizable mustard plant. So here is my analogy, I
might be like a mustard seed now - but I know that USC
and SC is where God wants me to be, and therefore I know He will use me
in ways that I can't even imagine right now as I am planted in my new
home. My prayer is that I can flourish and grow in my faith, while
demonstrating God's love to others, just as a mustard plant becomes
deeply rooted and grows strong from a small seed.
Now, let's fast-forward 6
months...and each of you have heard the varying versions of the "walk
to class" and collapsed lung that changed life forever. Here is the
new take on the mustard seed analogy: The Lord has literally used
something a comparable size to a mustard seed to lead me in a new
direction of life in which we are confident is being used to glorify Him
in more ways than we could ever imagine.
The mustard seed object? The 1cm tumor on my thyroid
that to the best of my doctors' knowledge started to take it's toll on
my body 10+ years ago, and led to the diagnosis of metastasized medullary
carcinoma (Cancer) on February 13, 2013. The good in it all? I have
no symptoms, this type of Cancer is slow-growing, I am not receiving
treatment at this time (CT scans and more blood work to monitor things
at the beginning of May), I am young, healthy (besides this whole
Cancer thing), and I have the love of incredible family, friends, and
one outstanding fiancé who have stood by me through it all!
So, it's simple. I rejoice in each new day, I praise
God for the large and small victories, I place my trust in the Lord,
the power of prayer, and the promise of hope and peace we have in
Him. (And I'm already working with those in SC and PA to decide how I
can continue to move forward with my degree, have made
significant changes towards an all organic, Cancer-fighting diet
(yum!), and enjoy planning our wedding for next May!)
I promise to keep all of you updated by means of the
"new" Mustard Seed...this e-mail group. I think it will be the best
way to reach out to everyone when I have an update. Everything should
be quiet for the next 6 weeks or so, as we had good results at my
oncology appointment (Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center) last
week. Also, do not feel the need to reply, I just want to keep
everyone in the "loop" (feel free to forward it too, I tried to make
sure I got everyone)!
Wishing you all a wonderful week,
Sarah Darling
No comments:
Post a Comment