Fight the good fight

On my Bible app this morning this was the verse of the day, "Fight the good fight of the faith.  Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses." 1 Timothy 6:12

Upon reading this verse this morning I thought of my friend Dale.  Dale entered the presence of our Lord and Savior on Sunday.  He not only fought cancer for a few years but he fought the good fight of His faith.  I am so saddened that I was unable to attend his funeral but I am told his desire was for Jesus' love to be preached to all who were there and that is what happened.

Dale was one of my best friends in high school.  We dated for a month but even though I broke up with him because I wasn't ready to date, he remained a faithful and constant friend.  He'd be the one to encourage me to keep living when there were times in my teenage yrs I just wanted to be done here on earth.  He was the first one to call me on my birthday and was always there to listen to me.  We were both married a week apart.  I think we both realized once we were married (or dating other people and on the road to marriage) that we couldn't be each other's person any more.  We kept in touch a bit and updated each other on our first kids as both his daughter and my son were born in the same year.  But over the last 5 years we lost touch.

However, this past spring I felt nudged to try to get a hold of him and tell him about my cancer.  I contacted his wife on FB and shortly after I got a message from Dale asking if we could Skype.  He wanted to talk because we had something in common...CANCER.  Dale had been walking the cancer journey since 2015 so he was a huge encouragement to me.  He and his wife started praying regularly for me and my family.  They got their church and prayer circles to pray for me.  I would get reply emails to my updates and check in emails from him asking to see how I was doing.

12 yrs ago my pastor, that I interned under in Saskatoon, died of a rare cancer.  He was 37 I believe and left behind a 12 and 10 yr old and his wonderful wife.  Then when I was diagnosed at age 36 it brought back memories of my pastor friend Dwayne and his own fight against cancer.  Dale was just 35 and he leaves behind his wife and two daughters...ages 10 and 8.  Being in your 30's and dealing with cancer just seems so unfair and just so wrong.  I am so thankful that these two men of Faith had a personal and real relationship with Jesus.  My hope in Jesus is the one thing that enables me to have hope and gives me the ability to daily walk though this difficult journey. I really don't know how people walk through something like cancer without having a HOPE in Jesus and without the promise of eternal life in heaven and without the love and help from a supportive community.  I am so grateful for all who have gone before me and for all who walk alongside of me.