After breaking the news to family and close frieds, Geoff sent out the following email:
Friends,
As we are all well aware, life can throw up some unexpected challenges at times - I am inclined to call such events 'curveballs', but perhaps as an Aussie I should prefer a cricketing terms rather than a baseball one.
Sue and I received such a curveball last week when Sue was diagnosed with cancer of gastro-intestinal system that has now spread to her liver and lympathic system. As such the cancer is 'inoperable' and so we are now only looking at options for treatment that may slow the spread of the disease.
It has been a pretty 'full on' week of painful conversations with our kids, parents, siblings, close friends - all of whom are part of God's blessing to us. Sue and I are actually doing OK and are actually enjoying the particular sort of intimacy with each other and closeness to God that comes when the circumstances are most challenging.
It occurred to me on the day of the diagnosis that the 'three opportunities' that Peacewise teaches are available to each of us in times of conflict are likewise available to us when the conflict is not with another person but within our physical body or life circumstances. The three opportunities are:
- To GLORIFY God in our responses
- To SERVE Others
- To GROW in our Christlikeness
I shared this with Sue that day and we agreed that this will be our language to each other and those around as we travel the journey of the next months, hopefully years.
Sue will not be in a position to return to work but other than that we are not making any rash decisions about how life looks moving forward.
It goes without saying that we would covet your prayers as we grab hold of and run with the opportunities God has placed before us to be His people, in His place, in His time according to His will and purpose.
Finally, may I share these profound and comforting words of scripture from 2 Corinthians 4 which I know are applicable to us all right where we are, right now:
7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body......... 16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Grace and peace to you in the name of Him who loves us all beyond measure and calls us according to His good purpose. We are indeed blessed.
Geoff (& Sue) Bateman
[Email transcript ends]
