A Blessing

My job is one of the blessings of my life. I get to meet all kinds of people from every walk of life. Some visits stand out more than others and today was one of those Divine Appointments. I hadn't met this lady before but was told that she had a cancerous tumor in her liver in which chemotherapy nor radiation were an option. She is on the palliative program and is described as very accepting of her death. She has all of her arrangements made for her funeral, right up to the pictures that would be on display. She is in a very advanced stage of liver failure and it is obvious by her "yellow tanned look to her skin. The sclera (or the whites of her eyes) are yellow. Her emaciated body is even more accentuated by her protruding abdomen that is full of the poison that is destroying her life. But within this woman is a spark. There is a peace and a joy that goes beyond all human understanding. ("...and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7) As the outside of her body is deteriorating, her spirit is growing into full maturity. She is becoming more and more like Christ. ("Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." 2Corinthians 4:16,17) Yes, she loves the Lord and it shows. She describes Christ as her Rock. The only One that she has ever been able to lean on at any time. I don't know much about her past but I'm sure she has a story to tell. Don't we all? Obviously God receives all the glory with her testimony.
In the one bedroom sits a boy/man. This is her son who has special needs. He is in his forties and she thanks God for him being there at this time in her life. He wears one of those key chain ribbons around his neck that says, "I love Jesus". His face lights up when someone speaks to him. She is her joy in life, that is obvious. His needs are all looked after for when she leaves this world. She says that he is extra "klingy" now because he does understand what is happening. But he knows that he will see Mom again in heaven.
She shares with me that she has eight grand-children and she would like to see them grow up, but that is not to be. She also speaks of wishing she would have been taken up when the Rapture comes, but doesn't feel that is to be either. I told her not to be so quick to make that statement! He could come at any time.
I'm sure that I will get to know this lady a little better over the next few weeks but she certainly was a blessing to me today.