Victory!

Living in a house with three men, it is common for some sporting event to be on our television.  

Football.  Basketball.  Golf.

And even though I do not always understand the rules, I do love to watch the excitement and joy that follows a victory.

Tiger Woods return to glory, winning the Masters again this past Sunday was one of those moments.  Witnessing the embrace between him and his son shortly after he walked off the course was a snapshot many will remember for years to come..

That rare and beautiful moment that takes your breath away and sometimes brings a tear to your eye.

I had a moment like that eight years ago.

It was right before Easter.  

Our friends, John and Amy had gifted a place at the beach for my husband and I to take our boys, then 10 and 8 years old.  

I had just finished my last round of chemotherapy.

Despite their generosity, it was not a journey I wanted to make.

My body ached.  I was drained both physically and emotionally.   

The thought of spending hours in a car almost brought me to tears.  

But something deep inside nudged me to say yes.   

So I packed my wig and my clothes, and away we went.

We shared the joy of being together.  Watching the boys play in the sand, eating pizza at the Grotto.

And going to church together on Easter morning.

We arrived too early for the service.  I had mistakenly read the start times for worship.

Our family was greeted by a friendly older couple who welcomed us to wait in fellowship hall, where the boys could have a snack until it was time to go into the sanctuary.

While the boys had cookies and punch, John and I struck up a conversation with the husband and wife.  

It quickly became evident why God had brought us there early.

Their daughter had just been diagnosed with breast cancer.

I listened as they shared their hearts with me. I offered what comfort and insight I could into the road that lied ahead.  Sharing my journey brought healing to me as well.

God speaks through us and to us in the most remarkable ways.

On that Easter Sunday, He used me to speak words of hope to that couple.  

And then He used my 8 year old son, Daniel to speak words of hope to me.

It is a moment that still takes my breath away.

When we had initially entered the hall, my eyes were immediately drawn up to the ceiling.

There were large poster boards dangling from the ceiling tiles, etched with words like addiction, divorce, loss of job, death of a loved one.  They seemed to represent the pain and suffering that others had overcome. I glanced at them briefly and focused my attention back to our conversation.

But my son had been studying these 30 plus boards as he nibbled on his cookies.

Excitedly, Daniel ran over to me to get my attention.  

He pointed above him, exclaiming and proclaiming:

“Look, Mommy, look!  Cancer didn’t win!”

That rare and beautiful moment that took my breath away and pierced my soul.

I knew that God had already claimed victory over my cancer.  

But even more importantly on Easter, He proclaimed victory over death.

And I cannot tell either story without getting emotional.

Friends, Christ laid down His life because of His great love for us.   

And even though He felt physically and emotionally drained, He said yes to the journey.

He proclaimed victory for us all.

On this Good Friday, share the greatest story ever told.

His love for us is too great not to share.

Amen.

“The Lord is my strength and my song, He has given me victory.  This is my God, and I will praise Him – “ Exodus 15:2