Friends Indeed

BEING SELF-SUFFICIENT had been a source of pride for me before I was diagnosed. I was always ready to lend others a hand, but when it came to me, I preferred handling things myself. I hadn’t counted on my husband’s wisdom.

TOM HAS ALWAYS BELIEVED in the power of friendship and in the need friends have to be useful in a crisis. It was the first time I realized I wasn’t the only one in the barrel with cancer. Tom was in it too, and he needed the support of our friends—perhaps even more than I did. After all, I had him, but who did he have?

SO, WHILE I MAY have wanted to creep into my cave until the winter of my illness was over, Tom knew he needed the encouragement and attention of those we loved, and he was wise enough to ask for it.

WHEN WE FOUND OUT I would be in the hospital for weeks, he flew into action. Now, I’m not proud of this, but I’m terrified of the hospital at a level that reason cannot soothe. Tom didn’t try to talk any sense into me. He just asked for volunteers. A paper was passed around our Sunday School class, and fourteen women volunteered.

I NEEDED MY FRIENDS more than I ever would’ve believed. More than they would’ve believed. They lay on a hard cot in my hospital room and had their sleep interrupted with each blood pressure check. They were alert when I was too groggy to know what was happening. They waited outside the bathroom door at two in the morning. They badgered me with breathing exercises and fed me ice when I wasn’t allowed water. They kept my IVs untangled when I trudged the hallways. They told me stories of friends and family members who’d survived impossible odds. Brave stories filled with hope.

I WAS COMFORTED. I knew I was loved.

AND I CHANGED from someone who didn’t want to bother anyone to someone who had to accept help from everyone. I changed from someone who had once done favors with the hopes that one day they would be returned, to someone who knew a lifetime was too short to repay what I’d been given.

THE BARREL WAS even more crowded than I’d realized. My friends were in it too. It was humbling. It was uplifting. And most of all, it was a reminder that God works through others and through us to perform his wonders. The secret to receiving good is the willingness to accept it.

IF YOU FIND YOURSELF in the position I found myself—and I pray you never do—be ready with a way for those who care about you to help. You owe it to them.

You’re blessed! Be a blessing.