We all need Hope

There are a few things about me that are a point of amusement to my children. One of them is that no matter where I go I tend to meet people with ties to Iowa. Another is that I tend to make friends with the people with whom I interact during my "mom errands". Whether the man at the dry cleaning window (who, by the way, is a wonderful gardener and has a daughter in Iowa) to the young man who use to bag my groceries at the grocery store (he loves sports and christian concerts), I love to visit with the people who are a part of the activities of my life.

Amanda and I became aware that it was often the same woman each morning who sat in the entry booth to the parking garage at the Hospital. Because we have so often come in and out for lab work or treatments lately, we began to greet her each time she raised the arm gate for us. Wednesday morning as I was coming in to spend my day with Amanda, I learned that she is the mother of two daughter, loves pink and that she and her daughters like to share their shoes (just as my daughters and I do). Amanda just giggled as I shared that new information with her. She told me that she knew it wouldn't be long before I would become friends with her.

On Friday afternoon as I was heading out of the garage to go and pick Abby, Anna and Caleb up from school, I again saw the same woman in the booth. As I pulled up to the booth, she opened her window and we began to talk. I told her that I wanted her to know that we were hoping our daughter would be released later that evening and that we would not see her until next week. She questioned as to why we came and were again returning and I told her that my daughter had recently been diagnosed with cancer and we were doing our chemo treatments here. She stopped, leaned out her window towards me and, looking me right in the eyes she asked me my daughter's name. I told her it was Amanda. She then told me that her sister was a cancer survivor. She said that was a miracle, that her sister was not suppose to "make it", but that she knew that prayer could change things. She told me to "look" as she turned her name tag around. Her name was Hope. She said, "We all need Hope, and this Hope, prays. You tell Amanda, to hang on, Hope is here and this Hope will be praying for her".

Tears came to my eyes as I thanked her and told her that we too believed in prayer. I told her how much it meant to me that she would pray for our daughter and I told her that my name was Denise and I would look forward to seeing her again. As I said my name, she sat back, a big smile came to her face and she said, "We were suppose to meet. You see, you needed to know someone more will be praying for your daughter, and my sister - the miracle - her name is Denise."

In the midst of the shock and the grief, the fears and tears that have come with Amanda's diagnosis, one of my prayers has been that I would not focus on the fear, but that God would help me to instead focus on Him. I asked that He would help me to see the ways that He is providing for us, the ways that He is caring for Amanda and our family through those around us, and to show me little reminders that He is walking with us on this journey. And although in my weakness there are times my heart breaks again, the tears come and I only have the strength to just face the moment I am in, He has been faithful to my request. The thoughtfulness, the friendship, the support and the prayers that have come on behalf of Amanda and our whole family have shown brightly for me to see and they mean more than I could ever say.

And on Friday, His message of love and comfort came through loud and clear from a gated entry booth that held, Hope.