God's Love and Healing

Growing up, my family had a negative outlook on church. There was the suspicion that church only wanted people's money, and that Christians were two-faced hypocrites. As a young girl, I believed in God, but kept that belief to myself. I wanted to know God, but didn't know how to make that happen.

God had His own plan of making Himself known. My freshmen year of high school I met a girl named Barbra Martin who loved Jesus and lived out her faith quietly, and respectfully. She shared her faith, but in a non-intrusive way, and she patiently answered questions I had about God. She would read the Bible to me and I am thankful to her, for starting me on my journey.

When I moved to Eugene, God placed another friend in my life, named Betty Winland, and she picked up where Barbra had left off. She invited me to attend her church.

Later as an adult when Ted and I moved to Albany, Meradeth Magregor invited me to "watch her kids sing in the choir." She knew I was in between churches and she would continue to invite me time and time again. Eventually, Pastor Glenn asked me if I wanted to join the church, and I said "no."

I knew joining a church was a big commitment, and I wanted to take more time to decide if this was the place for me and my family. Things started moving quickly from there. The current youth leader, Sheryl called me up and let me know her husband had suddenly passed away, and that she needed to take some time away from youth ministry. She asked if I would step in, and I agreed.

My involvement was supposed to be temporary, "just till January, we said." It lasted over five years. One particular Lent service, I was looking around the church at some of the people in our small group, and the thought hit me,"this is what its like to be a part of God's family."

Later on I ran across an announcement from the hospital, needing volunteer chaplains. In a moment of quiet reflection, I feel like the Lord said to me: "Go." Simple, but life changing.

By observing people in the hospital, I realized the importance of preventitive health care. This epiphany led me to get my first mamogram. It was here I learned that I had cancer. It was here that I began a long road to recovery.

If I had not been in church...if I had not done youth ministry...if I had not been a chaplain, we wouldn't have discovered this cancer until it was too late.

In the midst of treatment, I had some deep and difficult questions, "Why did this happen to me? Does God even care?" Yet through this time of doubt, God continued to be faithful and offer His peace.

I feel like all of these events have drawn me closer to the church community, and yet I have a sense that God has a journey that is just for me, prepared beyond the walls of our building, out in the community. Even though I know this is journey that is carved out just for me, I know that I am never alone.

Blessings,

Sandy Waldron

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