Diving deeper into my blog means that I am going to dive deeper into people’s stories-retracting significant experiences that hold significant impact. The first person I am highlighting for my “Beautiful People” segment is…(drumroll)…my best friend Liz! Liz is a one-of-a-kind beauty (from the inside out) & I am proud to say we’ve been friends for 13 (going on 14) years now!
Liz is an angel. You can actually see the marks from where her halo lays (or rather, laid). At the age of 9, one of her brothers’ friends landed on her neck while goofing around in the swimming pool, leading Liz to seek medical attention right away. After two weeks of wearing a neck brace, the lump from the initial incident still remained. Liz’s parents were very concerned, as any would be, & decided to take her in for an MRI. Technicians alerted the family to seek a neurosurgeon immediately. The lump on her neck, they said…tumors.
What was predicted as a singular-tumor surgery that was supposed to take 6 hours to remove, ended up doubling to 2 tumors, 12 hours. These aggressive tumors caused bone deterioration, forcing doctors to replace missing spinal bone with hip bone. After an intense but successful operation, Liz walked out of the hospital with multiple scars & a halo (an immobilization device).
Although the discovery of the tumor & the actual details of the surgery were major parts of her story, what Liz shared next, was impactful on a different level.
Wow. & to think, this was all coming from a 9-year-old who just hopped off the surgery table. What innocence. What confidence. What FAITH.
It’s been 17 years since Liz’s has overcome her tumor experience-PRAISE God! To this day, Liz still deals with migraines, achiness, arthritis & muscle spasms-all complications related to the past. Regardless of these obstacles, Liz is such strong woman & has definitely been shaped into who she is today from all she has previously been through.
Liz agrees-we don’t have to live bound because of our traumatic experiences. God is on the battlefield fighting on our behalf throughout the day & into the night. We can gain strength from the past; let the past fuel your future; When we look back at those moments of hardship in our lives-the pain was real & there was a struggle to find hope in the midst of things (or maybe you are currently in this situation, feeling this way); but if we can make the choice to be fearless in Christ, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish. Keep fighting the fight, surround yourself with people who are going to pour goodness into your world, & know that God is working ALL things together for your good.
Thanks for sharing your story Liz, & thank you all for listening.
Fearless: The phrase "do not be afraid" is written 365 times in the Bible. That's a daily reminder from God to live every day being fearless"