we sat across the table at Starbuck's
we caught up,
talked work, life, family, church
her coffee order was different than i remember
simpler
decaf with water
there was more she needed to tell
there was a burden in her i didn't remember
conversation dissipated
she told a story,
she had been sick
the doctors misdiagnosed
she wasn't getting better
she returned to the hospital
it was right around Christmas
she sat straight
her eyes locked with mine
and said "I have stage 4 colon cancer;
there is no stage 5."
then her shoulders fell,
she wept
i left my chair to move to her side
i hugged her, and i wept
i remembered meeting her in college
acting out shakespeare together for our lit class
getting coffee
watching the blues brothers and Jesus Christ superstar together
meeting her sister's pet pig
many of our challenging conversations
chewing on Scripture together
studying Mao
seeing history fresh through her passionate eyes
staying connected after marriage
her visiting over hot cocoa to meet my daughter
how can this be that my friend, my age, has cancer?
my heart aches for her,
and i love her dearly
more importantly, God loves her,
eternally important, she loves Him
i'm thankful, Lord, that You bore our sins on the cross
i'm thankful that You daily bear our burdens (Psalm 68:19)
help me to bear this with her,
to carry...that she would not bear this alone
