Two nights ago we were invited to a night out with several other couples, a gig called "Red Hot Smokin' Date Night" that my cousin's put on to celebrate the group's marriages. Some of us were marriage mentors from The Rock, others were pastors of other churches, and a couple were either newlyweds or just about to get married. There was dinner, wine/sparkling ciders, dancing, and a message from my aunt and uncle who lead a marriage outreach ministry for couples in crisis. It was a great night together, not just for Jes and me, but for all of the couples.
One of the topics we discussed was the personality test used by Gary Smalley, which is based on the DISC analysis used in corporate America. Again, I turned out to be the dominant type; in this instance I came out to be the Lion -- aggressive, confident, yada yada ya. As my aunt put it, "Lions typically leave a trail of bloody Otters (fun, outgoing, no focus types) and Golden Retrievers (sympathetic, loyal, slow-moving, warm and fuzzy types)." I admit that's true. Thanks to the work God is doing in me, however, I believe I have cut the "trail" down to a handful along the road.
It was so nice to be out with Jeseca in a social situation. She is admittedly self-conscious about her appearance, but I don't care. She could go through the grinder and I would still think she's beautiful. I am empathetic, though, to how she must be feeling. The person she sees in the mirror is not the same person she's been all of her life.
One of the exercises of the night was to list 5 reasons why you fell in love, and 5 reasons you love your spouse now. When we first met, I loved her because she was beautiful, fun, exciting, and she was my best friend. Now, she is the most beautiful woman both inside and out, she is the most amazing woman of God, incredibly courageous, and she is still fun, exciting, and my best friend. God has transformed her into someone I never knew was there 11 years ago, and I am so proud to a be part of her life.
I also found out tonight that in addition to the tumors I already know about, another large growth has formed near what appears to be her right parotid gland (upper jaw near the ear). All I did was shake my head in amazement. The eye, jaw, throat, chest, lung, liver, etc. It's probably elsewhere, and it is a bit scary, but we have so much hope in the Lord.
Not much else to say except that we are beginning another week, and she is still here. God keeps putting distance between us and the night at the emergency room. Praise Him for that! JG
Labels: Jeseca's Fight Against Cancer
