Give her a puppy. Make her dinner. Give Eva a new outfit. Clean her house. Kinsley’s classmates and I have more in common than our love for new crayons, snack time, and recess. We have thought about ways to make our “Shea-Shea” feel better. For me, a way to fix this or make it all better, but I couldn’t “fix” this.
When Shea called me with the news, my reaction was disbelief. How could someone who works so hard to stay healthy have cancer? Someone who just had her first baby? I immediately went into “this is going to be okay” mode … it had to be. I couldn’t imagine our family without her. Images of other people I have known with cancer started going through my mind… How could this be happening to someone who should be spending the next few months enjoying her new baby girl and building their new house. What I should have been asking myself is, How will God use Shea through this?
I have always been a fixer or a list maker.. A “to-do” post it kind of gal. But with this… I can’t fix this. I am so thankful for the doctor’s hands that Shea was placed into- the perfect timing of her treatments to fight this battle so aggressively, but what could we do to help? Lindsey and I went straight into planning and thinking about what she would need. We have never really been through this, so of course… where do you go when planning something new? I hate to say it.. I went to Pinterest- creating boards of things she would need, scriptures, and the cutest hats we could find. We even named it “Chemo sucks, but if it sucks out the cancer, then YAY!” All of those things were helpful, but she was going to need more than the awesome headband that holds scarfs on… she needed prayer. That’s when #LovePrayShea came to be. With the awesomely creative Lorilee- Lindsey and I were able to create a small way to ask people to pray for her and help remind them with a cute little bracelet! :) Little did we know, that this little bracelet would be more than that.
Through the next few weeks, there were many stories of people praying again for the first time in months, or going back to church to pray for Shea, or meeting in a small group to share her story, or coming to a prayer gathering in someone’s back yard. What I love most is that #LovePrayShea is more than please pray for Shea Wright. It is – please PRAY. Please tell him your fears, your worries, your questions or your concerns. It has really opened my heart to learning how to praise him. Thanking him for the good things in my life. It is so easy to begin to get bogged down with this and that, driving here, grading these papers, but Shea’s experience has taught me to pray, be thankful, and have hope.
I will never be able to understand cancer, how it works, or how it begins, but I love how a child can really simplify things…
So I asked Kinsley, What is Cancer?
“Well, my Shea Shea has cancer. That’s when someone gets really really sick. They lose all their hair ‘cause there is this medicine that destroys all of the badness. She gets better by taking this medicine though.”
If someone asked how Shea-Shea is doing, what would you tell them?
“Shea has been great. She’s been doing good. Her hair is growing back too. I think she is the happiest when she’s with her family, like me.”
What do you think Eva should know about all of this?
“I think Eva should know that her mommy has been going through a lot of stuff, but she is being strong and fighting it. She is being really good.”
How did you feel when you found out Shea-Shea had cancer?
“I was really scared and I didn’t know if she would be okay, but now I believe in her and I know she is going to make it.”
Throughout the past few months this experience has really opened my eyes to the power, faithfulness, and love of God. Being able to see the way God has used Shea through this has been amazing. We will never be able to thank each and every person who has helped and supported Shea, but from the bottom of our hearts- you all have helped her survive. You helped save our sister, our best friend. Your love and your prayers- they have lifted her spirit each day. God has been so good to her and blessed her with this opportunity to share her story and tell others about him.