The
time that I've put into Spark the Way over the last few months has been
seriously focused on the “what”. What are we doing? God, what’s the next step?
What do I share about STW with people? Just...what? I’ve complicated things and
created a real blurry vision, because over the last few months, I’ve dropped
the most important question- “why?”
Why
was Spark the Way even created?
I
absolutely know that God has called me to this- He’s made it evident. But I
made things foggy… and so I knew this day was a long time coming, but I went
back into my videos and my posts from my cancer season to remember. And this is
the revelation of “why”…
Through my stroll down memory lane, it
came pretty obvious: people. Did you
know that I started an album called “cancer” in my phone? It’s a massive album
of screenshots of texts, facebook messages and letters filled with Bible
verses, encouragement and good laughs. People gave me ammo and people equipped
me almost every single day with words and reminders that I was winning, because
whether I lived through it or didn’t, my God was bigger than my cancer. There are pictures of people visiting, some
who drove or flew hours just to sit with me. There are pictures of people with
pink hair and really short haircuts. There are pictures of a decorated
apartment- every wall index carded with words of life. There are screenshots of
social media posts of my face with some of the most encouraging words I’ve ever read underneath them.
There are pictures of people just sitting in Moffitt with me, doing nothing,
entertained by nothing, just sitting. There are screenshots of emails setting
up times where people would get together and pray for me. There are pictures of
packages that people sent filled with crafty things that made me smile, crafty
things that took them a lot of time. There are memories of people letting me
cry on them, freak out on them, then smile at them and say “I love you” because
my steroid and menopause game was strong. There are memories of hospital
sleepovers. There are memories of people surprising me and stopping by at thee
most perfect times. Even after Feb. 5 marked my remission, there are memories
of people sitting on my yellow couch helping me pick up pieces of my life that
I blamed cancer for taking from me. There are pictures with people who guided
my whole remission trip through California. People. If only
you could see the tears running down my cheeks. Whether they were apart of my
life during cancer or after remission, God used people. People who loved me,
who encouraged me, who empowered me, who prayed with me, who served me-
selflessly and humbly. It’s people who created
a community around me and it’s people who equipped me with and reminded me of
the words of God- “God gave life to everything that was created, and his life
brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness
can never extinguish it.” John 1:4-5. Cancer can never extinguish it.
So…why
does Spark the Way exist? Because I believe the things that people did for me was a vision of what
I’m called to do for others. Because of the people who surrounded me and formed a community for my sake. A
community that loved, encouraged, empowered, prayed and served me selflessly
and humbly. A community that I wouldn’t have stayed strong without. I can’t
just say ‘thank you’ because that doesn’t even scrape the surface of my
gratitude. But because of those people,
I’ve seen the power of community and its impact on a young adult’s life
affected by cancer as a caregiver, as a fighter and now, as a survivor. It’s an
impact that’s life changing and it’s an impact I hope Spark the Way will make
on the world. To have a community like the one I had in my cancer season will
remove the fear of death and give victory to these guys, no matter the ending
result of their cancer season.
Simplify,
Madison. THE WHY: The power of a community like this is enough to extinguish
the darkness that walks hand in hand with cancer.
By
the coolness of God and through the example of Jesus Christ,
people are my why.
people are my why.
