Knowledge is such a wonderful gift and I am a greedy person. I love to learn, I love to discover, and I love to dig deeper. I want to know how things work, how stuff is made, why things happen as they do, when did it start, has it always been this way? And perhaps my favorite, why we are we the way we are? This extends of course to my professional life as a marriage & family therapist and as a psychology teacher, but also in my personal life–why, what, how, when–and the list of questions just goes on and on. Having breast cancer has opened up a whole new area of discovery for me. I am getting in education in biology, oncology, pharmacology, hematology, health insurance and finance, but the most incredible lessons I have learned thus far since my diagnosis have come in the form of people. People who are bending over backwards to help me, people praying for me that I have never met, people who have no reason to support me yet are uplifting me and giving me strength. People are amazing!!
Have you ever stopped and pondered this? Why are people so amazing? What is it in the human DNA that causes someone to love and support another? I’m not sure if it is the chemo fog in my brain or just the simplicity of the answer but I believe God has a hand in it. 🙂 We are created in the image of our God and God IS love (1 John 4:8). Deep within us is the desire to love, not just love our families, our friends, and those who deserve it, but to love– period. God commands us to love and when we do, we get to experience being more like Him and more like we were created to be. Not to mention the blessing that is bestowed on the recipient of that love.
As an educator, I am always looking for more effective ways to help my students learn. I like to use hands-on experiments in the classroom, personal experience to illuminate lessons, and guest speakers to broaden the academic voice. So I see this time in my life as an incredibly effective way for me to learn more about God. I am getting hands-on experience in God’s amazing love. I am not saying God gave me cancer so I could learn, but that because God loves me so much He will use this time of struggle to help me understand and know Him in an even deeper way. I am embracing the lesson.
But I am like an olive tree
flourishing in the house of God;
I trust in God’s unfailing love
for ever and ever.
For what you have done I will always praise you
in the presence of your faithful people.
And I will hope in your name,
for your name is good. Psalm 52:7-9
ahealingpath 
Jun 20, 2012 @ 22:29:07
Thanks for sharing Erin…you are in turn blessing those around you!
Jun 22, 2012 @ 22:32:42
Thank you, Mary. I am so blessed by you and everyone at Jessup.
Jun 20, 2012 @ 22:54:28
My life has always revolved around and within my family. I have been in and out of close relations with God throughout my life. I always knew I believed in God, who He was to me and what my part in the relationship should be. I wandered away when times were easy and returned when my life was in upheaval. Probably not unlike a lot of people’s walk with God. Not to justify my decisions but to simply state what I know to be true about myself. My children are grown and now I enjoy my beautiful grandkids. That last comment sounds like a happy, fulfilled woman’s life wrapped up very nicely and neatly! Not so! Because of a lot of unwise choices I made, my grown children each suffer depression, live unhappy and unpurposefull lives. The choice I made to stay in a verbally abusive home where the kids and I walked on egg shells, has formed our characters immensely. We all learned our own ways to cope, at that time, none of which helped develop strong, self-confident people. We, today, are all so wounded. BUT, the great beauty of this whole mess is that we are all truely Christian today, all asking for God’s strength and guidance in our lives. Everyone, has a burden. Knowing how to effectively handle that burden can mean the difference between living ” happily” or in “despair”. Because we love God we know He has a purpose for our lives, to love and obey His Word, and to love others as ourselves. Prayer for each other and for ourselves can move mountains…I’ve seen mountains moved! And experienced a lot of God’s miracles in my own life. I pray one for you and would ask that you kindly include my family in your prayers. Keep the faith! We’re not forever on this earth but plan to spend eternity in Heaven!
Jun 22, 2012 @ 22:36:26
Dear Judi,
Thank you for sharing a bit about your life with me. I am honored to pray for you and your family. We are all part of the brokeness of humanity but God is the healer and restorer of our lives. To Him be the glory forever!!
Jun 20, 2012 @ 22:55:52
You are awesome. Thank you for the reminders in all of our lives of the lessons we learn along the way. I love you, am praying for you and your family and wish I could just give you a big hug. Love ya forever, Janeese
Jun 22, 2012 @ 22:38:03
Thank you Janeese!! You are such a blessing to me 🙂 Thank you for your prayers and love. Hugs back to ya, my friend!
Jun 20, 2012 @ 23:46:47
Erin-
Your posts are like a breath of fresh air. And your positivity is contagious! I find myself seeking to grow closer to God with every post on your blog. His love and His grace and His mercy is so indescribable. Everything that He does for us amazes me every day. I find that I can’t get over it! And it makes me so happy 🙂
Stay strong in the Lord. He loves you dearly!
Praying for you and yours.
-Jenayu
Jun 22, 2012 @ 22:41:29
Jenayu,
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and for your comments. I am glad God is overwhelming you with His love. He is such a good God and deserving of all our praise!!!
Jun 21, 2012 @ 04:23:10
Beautiful Erin! So beautiful is the love of our Savior, your love that shines for Him, and the sweet gift of love’s friendship.
Jun 22, 2012 @ 22:42:36
Thank you, Susan!! So thankful for you and for God bringing us together 🙂