Basket of Courage | Previous Challenge Entry

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TITLE: Basket of Courage | Previous Challenge Entry
By Wanda Draus
09/18/14
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It was a chilly morning as I filled the teapot and waited for the whistle. There was an overcast outside like the one over my soul. It’s been two long days waiting. Truly something this important they would call right away. I kept telling myself, no news is good news.

Nervous, I finally called the doctor’s office and left a message inquiring about the results from my biopsy. I was just finishing my second cup of tea, when the phone rang, it was the doctor. I was so relieved to hear her voice and yet nothing prepared me for what she was saying.

“You have breast cancer; invasive ductal carcinoma.” She continued talking about next steps, scheduling tests and choosing a team, and I was still stuck at, you have breast cancer. I grabbed a pen and paper trying to steady my hand as I wrote. What was she saying; triple negative, aggressive, limited treatment? It was all a blur.

I don’t remember hanging up the phone. I just remember being alone and I couldn’t stop my body from shaking. I made my way to the bedroom, laid across the bed and for the first time I felt tremendous fear. Even through divorce, financial struggle, being a single mom to teenage boys nothing gripped me like this. I always knew God was there through every trial, through every blessing but what happened here?

Tears flowed and questions whirled through my mind. How will I tell my husband, my mom? Would this be my last Christmas with my family?

Praying, I asked God, “was it something I did, or is there something I am not doing? Are we ok, God? I looked deeply at my relationship with Christ and though still being imperfect, I felt His peace.

I then asked, “God, is this trial for someone else to know You and could we not have found another way?" There was stillness in the room and it was as if Christ sat on my bed, and reminded me, “I had to die on a Cross for you to know Me, because there was no other way.”

The months of surgery, set backs, chemo, and radiation came and went. The love and support from family, friends and strangers kept me fighting and God’s Word kept me strong.

On my last day of treatment I took the many beautiful cards sent to me, tied a pink ribbon around them and packed cancer away. I was done with tests, hospitals, doctors. I was done with cancer.

My hair grew back, I gained strength and the laughter returned. I knew I could never go back to who I was but I didn’t know what to do with what I just went through. I knew there was something that God wanted me to do, I just didn’t know what.

One morning, while reading scripture my answer came. I knew it the minute I read the verse, 2 Corinthians 1:4, that God was speaking directly to me and giving me my charge. I knew that cancer would be a big part of my life but in a different way.

I knelt down and prayed with urgency and an immense desire to do His will. He brought to mind all the gifts of books and items that people sent to encourage me and in particular a basket filled with love and support from my husband’s family.

From that encounter with God, I knew what my mission was. I would give support and encouragement in a basket to women and children diagnosed with cancer, items and books of encouragement to see them through their journey.

What I thought would be 2 or 3 baskets a year turned into 100. We have since established a non-profit organization and now send baskets all over the United States along with providing a local Ronald McDonald House, 50 baskets at Christmas.

Our prayer with each basket is for those who believe in Christ their faith will be reinforced, that He is always with us. And for those who have yet to know our Lord, it will introduce them to the greatest hope of all, Jesus.

His love comforts, His grace sustains.

“He comes alongside of us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, He brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person as God was there for us. 2 Corinthians1:4 (The Message).”

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