The Glad Game
Are you familiar with the story of Pollyanna? This classic children’s book was written by Eleanor H. Porter in 1913 and later adapted into a movie by Disney in 1960. It tells the story of a young orphan girl who goes to live with her stern auntie after her parents die. Pollyanna’s outlook on life despite her challenges is amazing because she learned a lesson from her late father. That lesson was to play, “the glad game”. The game consists of her finding something to be glad about in every situation, no matter how bleak it may be.
In many ways, I can relate to Pollyanna during this season of my life. Like her, I find myself playing the glad game on a daily basis. I realize that despite the challenges I am facing, I have so much to be glad about and thankful for.
First, let me remind you of where I was back in May 2019. I was laying on the couch and I was deathly sick, yet no one knew what was wrong with me. Unable to breathe and barely able to move, I lifted up a prayer to God and said, “I really thought I would live long enough to SEE my grandchildren”. The very next day, something amazing happened. My son Kalani and daughter in law Joyce shared the news that they were going to have a baby.
Kalani and Joyce’s good news!
When I returned home, I realized how quickly God had answered my prayer. I had just mentioned the possibility of never seeing my grandchild and God blessed me within 24 hours with the opportunity to see him in an ultrasound photo. I smiled as I prayed again asking God for the opportunity to not just see my grandchild but to be able to be there to meet him and watch him grow!
Well, on December 8th, at 7:30pm, I was in the room to witness my precious grandson being born. Words can’t express the joy I felt to watch him come into the world. I couldn’t hold back my tears of gratitude to God for allowing me there to experience that miraculous moment. His name is Blake and we are so in love with him.
Nana and Blake
God’s timing was perfect, as it always is. The day after he was born I had chemo. My husband, Derek was supposed to have missed being at chemo with me because he was on a business trip in LA. When he heard about the baby, he jumped on an flight and arrived home just an hour and a half before Blake made his grand entrance.
The next day, while I was checking into chemo he ran to See’s candy and came back with a case of chocolate cigars that said, “its a boy” on them. He proudly passed them out to all the wonderful staff at the cancer center and to all he saw at work that day.
Chocolate Cigar Celebration
That day, December 9th, 2019 was my 5th chemo treatment.
Chemo treatment number 5
Everything went well, although I did sleep a lot during this cycle. Must have been tired from all the excitement the day before or possibly because of the soft, snuggly pineapple prayer blanket the Vessels of Hope ministry sent to me.
I am glad that I have only one more treatment to go, just a few days after Christmas and my final appointment at the Cancer Center is on New Years Eve! Then I will start the new year with testing to see where I am at.
For now, I continue to strive to be like Pollyanna because I know that is what God wants me to do. All through the Bible, He reveals that to me. Here are some Bible Verses from my devotions today.
Rejoice Always, pray constantly. Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. I Thessalonians 5:16-18.
Be filled by the Spirit… giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:18,20.
I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High. Psalm 9:2
Although being diagnosed with stage 4 Lymphoma has been challenging, it has also provided me with an opportunity for growth in my life. I see my situation as an opportunity to experience transformation. There are days that are hard, but If I try hard enough I can always find a reason to be thankful. In the story of Pollyanna, the “glad game” started because she didn’t have much as a missionary child and all she wanted for Christmas was a doll. Instead what came in the missionary box was a pair of crutches. Pollyanna’s dad taught her to be glad that she didn’t have a reason to use them! That one lesson transformed her life and she spread her optimistic spirit everywhere she went.
I am glad that I know God is with me. I have a new understanding of what is means to have a peace that passes all understanding. I don’t know what tomorrow holds but for today I choose to trust God, to live in victory, to keep fighting fear with faith, to listen, to be still and to know that God is with me.
Christmas is my favorite time of year and this month has been filled with amazing blessings, for today I will just share the miracle blessing of Blake, but I hope to be back soon to share the other incredible things God is doing in my life. He is so good, let us rejoice and be glad in Him and remember the He is the reason for the season.
With a glad heart,
Blake’s Nana Cindy
