The Maker of this day is on my side, and I will not let devastating circumstances overcome me.

I've done a really good job of surrounding myself with people who are way smarter than me. Seriously—I have a roster of folks I can call on for perspective or advice on just about anything, from wonky legislative issues to a new show to binge. If I don't have the answer, I know someone who does. That's my superpower—not nearly as cool as invisibility, but a superpower nonetheless.
So, when I was diagnosed with cancer, I knew who to call.
Once I convinced myself that there was nothing I could do to rid my body of cancer, I realized I needed a faith tune-up and needed it quickly. This was a job for Jesus. One of the first groups of folks I discussed my cancer with were spiritual leaders in my life. It was time to ring heaven's phone off the hook, and it was time to re-enforce my spiritual fortress.
I got a call from a faith leader who I look up to quite a bit. He called as soon as he could, ready to help prepare me for the road ahead. What he shared inspired this blog and has kept me steady for the past seven months. He recommended a verse to meditate on and pray over: Psalm 118:24.
"This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it."
I can't tell you how many times I've recited this verse since that phone call. Many of those times I've said it through gritted teeth or chased it with a verrrrrrrrrry long sigh, but I've found a lot of power in these words.
Let me give the Sadie Lackey Version of this psalm, SLV if you will:
The Source of all good made this day, therefore there is good to be found in it—no matter the pain, hardship, or opposition. The Maker of this day is on my side, and I will not let devastating circumstances overcome me. Because of this, I will rejoice in the presence of fear and uncertainty; I will be glad with what the day brings.

No one embodies this verse better than my nanny. A #CancerSlayer herself, she has faced some tough obstacles in her life, but anyone who knows nanny knows her for her joy. Everyone instantly falls in love with her. You would never know the hardship she's endured. She wears her scars like a badge of honor; She dusts tribulation off her shoulder like it's nothing and presses forward with endurance. And I think she makes hell nervous because of her infectious, unshakeable joy. My sweet, little nanny eats the devil's lunch every other Tuesday because she is unphased at his attempts to infringe on her happiness.
Now let me be clear, this doesn't mean Nanny doesn't show any other emotions. She's a feeler. For my enneagram fans out there, she's 100% an enneagram 2. I share that characteristic with Nanny: We are very in tune with our emotions. Let's detour a moment as I hop on my soapbox about emotions.
Emotions don't make you weak. Emotions don't damage your faith. Emotions are the most human part of our beings and should be nurtured and most importantly, felt. JESUS WEPT, Y'ALL. He wept! He felt emotion. He showed emotion. In Ephesians we are instructed to be angry but not to sin. It didn't say don't be angry, folks! It said be angry and don't sin. Process those emotions! Take them on. Work through them. Learn to understand them. But do NOT ignore them. When we suppress our emotions, we swing the door wide open to sin. The idea of Psalm 118:24 is not that you should abstain from feeling sad, mad, anxious, or fearful; It is the idea that despite those feelings, there is still reason to rejoice in the day.
Back to the subject at hand.
Psalm 118 isn't supposed to just inspire a change of attitude or outlook: It's a proclamation; It's a battle cry. It's not a light and fluffy, feel-good type of comfort verse. It's what you should engrave in your armor when you go to battle. It allows us to speak to the darkness we face and boldly declare who we put our trust in and who we believe holds the day.
I have two more treatments to endure, and I don't know what happens after that, really. I believe so strongly that my final scans will be clear, and I'll be in remission! But I don't know what remission looks like after being in treatment for six months. I don't know how my body will react or what the next steps will be. I'm nervous, excited, scared, curious, hopeful, and somehow at peace all at the same time. No matter how the rest of this healing process unfolds, my stock is in the Maker of the day, so I'm sure I'll have something to celebrate.
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