Today is treatment number 4 of 4 for the first round of chemo. This past week has been pretty good with her sleeping ok and feeling ok. Val then has a three week break before starting the next round.
Today she was asked to be part of a clinical trial for the next round that is only 46 patients from across the country. The trial is testing a new cold therapy while the chemo is given to help mitigate a side effect in the hands and feet. She has a few days to think about if she wants to participate but she is leaning that way.
Many of you may not know, but I (Marc) have and continue to resist the urge to open up a Facebook account. Since my wife trusts me with her password I get to troll her account every now and then. Ok probably more now than then! It has resulted in a few challenges like figuring out my Father’s Day gift early because she was FB messaging the family that made it for me. Oh well….
So this past week I was trolling and found that Val had posted a response to someone else’s post about “The lie that God won’t give us more than we can handle”. My wife is a fairly quiet person and doesn’t share what’s on her mind very often. So when I was reading her post, it deeply moved me with thoughts I didn’t know she had worked through. I thought you might find these words encouraging as well.
“Confronting the lie: God won’t give you more than you can handle” – Nate Pyle
Valerie Hoard Gordon I love this. As someone who has gone and currently is going through a situation that I can’t see my way out of on my own strength, God DOES give us more than we can handle. It is times like these that make us (at least in my experience) determine what we truly believe about God and our faith. It is times like these that we have to let go, because we can’t do it on our own strength, and must fully cling to and rely on God. It is times like these that others (hopefully) see the power and love and truth of God. When people say that God doesn’t give us more than we can handle, even though they mean well, it is theologically dangerous. Realistically if God doesn’t give us more than we can handle, why would we even need him? If someone wants to give me encouragement, it means so much more to get a hug from them and have them tell me that they are praying for me.
The Gordon Family Site 
Sending you a hug and the assurance that we are praying for you and your precious family….Barb and Paul Claesson
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A thousand times yes to what Valerie wrote! She took the words right out of my mouth. Continued prayers and hugs for all of you. God’s got this!
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Loved that article. So agree with you Val! God does give us way more then we can handle sometimes to bring us to Him. He can handle all things! I cry for you today because your life lessons though painful, are from the hand of our loving God. I don’t always appreciate being in the midst of “more then I can handle”, but grateful to belong to the king! Also grateful for the sweet fellowship and encouragement of sweet sisters in Christ like you. Mary
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Yeah! Four for four! Our prayers our answered. We were praying that God would let that fourth one happen today. Praying your next three weeks, Val, will be equally blessed! By the way, here’s one more vote for the cold therapy!
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Hope your days are filled with family and faith and we will see you soon.
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Wow, you made it niece! Love your hat, but most of all your smile. My advice is to go for the trial. Sis would tell you to do it. Anything that could help with the chemo side effects to the hands and the feet is worth a try. Love you always. Our prayers for you are being answered. God loves you!! Aunt Marilyn
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I love you, Val! Thank you, Mark, for sharing Val’s post. 💕
If someone were to give me a choice to go back in time and let me choose whether or not go through those times that were so difficult, all over again, or I could choose to not have had cancer and chemo and mastectomies and reconstruction surgery, etc. – but I also would not have learned so much about who my Heavenly Father is and could not have a much deeper relationship with Him and really experience that He is with me in whatever I go through, and HE IS ABLE . . . I wouldn’t change a thing! You are so right, Val! It is for our good that He allows us to go through more than we can handle. We learn that His grace is sufficient; He will give us more than we can ask or imagine! (I wish I could learn to rely on Him in easier ways, but the truth is, I don’t.) Grateful for you and praying for you,
Kay
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Well thought out and well-written, Val! And so true! Thank you for sharing and reminding us again that through tough trials we learn about relinquishing self and relying on Him. Hugs and prayers, Val! Bonnie
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