I don't really know how to begin this, I only know I have to write something about someone very dear to my heart that may soon step into eternity. Funny how you can become close with folks you meet online. A few commonalities and phone calls and you realize you have a soul mate that you'd have otherwise never met. Such is the case with my "hero"; Maddie. I won't identify her completely, but I will ask for your kind prayers for her ... just say Maddie, God knows her well! :)
She's been living on 'borrowed time' for some time now. Cancer, among other maladies, has been her biggest cross. She's an animal lover and a people lover. She's led prayer groups even through her years of illness. She's offered many times to sit with folks she doesn't even know while they're getting their chemo treatments, even though she was currently undergoing her own treatments.
Her Faith is phenomenal; and although she's had a few rough times and scares, it's been what's held her together. But it hasn't just held her together ... she has a peace and a joy that I can't even imagine under those circumstances. This is one of the reasons she will always be my "HERO".
Most recently, she's spent the better part of the last year in and out of hospitals with surgeries, chemo, radiation and other interventions caused by complications from the cancer. She's had sustained pain that most of us would faint from. Much of the cancer is in her lungs, but also went to the bones in the back of her neck to the spinal area and now it's spread to her brain. There's nothing more that can be done. No more chemo, no more radiation ... no more treatments.
She will be going back to her home area from the treatment center in Texas and into a hospice for a last few months. Since I've known Maddie ... whenever we talk, it always pops up about how much she wants to hug Jesus :) We've also made a pact, that whoever gets there first will pray the other one there :) God can do anything of course, but it appears that she'll be taking the high road and getting there before me.
The high road indeed. A while back, she'd asked Jesus to let her have her purgatory on earth ... I think He granted her that wish. Her son will be taking her back to LA next week. When she gets settled in, she will try to stay in contact on facebook as long as she can.
I wanted to write this to ask for prayers for her during the remainder of her time here on earth. She's assured me that the Doctors have said they can keep her comfortable as far as meds and pain goes now and the folks at the hospice will be kind and prayerful. There's a deacon there that she knows so that's nice and her son will be able to visit more. She will even get to visit with her pets a bit :)
I believe with all my heart and soul that death is the beginning of the REAL LIFE we were meant to have. The eternity that God planned for us and Jesus redeemed us for through His Perfect Passion and Resurrection. But I can cry when I read a greeting card and since my own encounter with cancer and a hysterectomy, those emotions run even wilder than before; thankfully, she understands this too. You try to be strong for someone ... but most of my tears are cuz I'm amazed by her strength and peace and see the BEAUTY IN IT ALL.
So this is a hard one for me.
The depth of her Faith and love of the Trinity and our Lady overwhelms me at times. Would that all just have half of what she's got; the world would be a much nicer place to be in till we get home. Jesus truly has given her His peace that goes beyond all understanding in this, praise be His Holy and Magnificent Name!
So .. please keep Maddie in your kind prayers, even if she doesn't know you, somehow, I know that when she gets to heaven, she'll know who prayed for her and I can assure you that she will be most grateful and return those prayers without a doubt when you need them the most! So, when you see a cute animal, a beautiful sky, a gorgeous flower, think of my hero, Maddie and say a prayer for her please.
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