CELEBRATING LIFE
Five years ago I became reacquainted with a college friend who was, I found out, the man of my dreams.
We dated.
He proposed.
I accepted.
Two months later I received a diagnosis of invasive ductal breast cancer. This account is my journey.
Facing my fear.
Following my Savior.
Fueling my faith.
I trust that the Holy Spirit will use this story to touch lives, strengthen the faith, and encourage others in their own journey and in their walk with their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
My fiance’s exact words were, “Valencia, I’m not marrying you for your hair!” Thus began my journey of healing. The story of breast cancer is often a story of loss, but it is also a story of healing and rebirth. I had to face the reality that at the very least I was going to lose my hair. My sincere hope was that hair would be my greatest loss. I had known others who had made a far greater sacrifice. Little did I know the spiritual renewal that was about to take place as I placed my life completely in God's hands.
My solace was that my husband-to-be became my number one supporter. His comment would reverberate in my thoughts and in my conversations throughout my journey. He was 1800 miles away, but his assurance blessed me daily. He wanted me for me…not just the external, not just the temporal. His words spoke peace to my innermost being. His words spoke of love and acceptance, the kind of love and acceptance that Jesus had already given me. Willie, my husband-to-be was the embodiment of that message.
What kind of man was this that God had given me? Little did I know this cancer journey was just one in a series of trials that would face us as a couple in our first two years of marriage. We had already survived my emergency surgery barely two years before this latest event...before we were engaged. God brought me through that surgery. A year and a half later Willie asked me to marry him. Yet only two months after that memorable proposal at the amphitheater that chilly night--right in the throes of date setting, attendant asking, dress shopping, and venue finding, I felt a lump…
This is our story. This is our song. We continue to praise our Savior all day and all night long!
We are thankful to God for bringing us through the trials that have encompassed us. We are thankful for our family and friends for supporting us, encouraging us, and praying with us. We will never be the same.