The Tree (Lisa)

Almost six years ago, we were in Williamsburg, searching for a private moment to absorb and process the news we were awaiting. My husband and I were waiting on one of those rare in life, anticipated but dreaded phone calls. We could be crushed or overjoyed by the news it would carry. I prayed for clarity for the decision we would be facing because it was life threatening for me.

I had been diagnosed with my third primary cancer. Unbelievably, after surviving ovarian and kidney cancer I was facing my biggest challenge with a rare cancerous tumor in my bronchial tube. It was blocking 85% of my airway but flopped in and out of the way giving me intermittent symptoms of wheezing and shortness of breath. I had waved it off as allergies or being out of shape but in the end, that carcinoid tumor bust through my bronchial wall and grew to match its interior size. It was resting next to a thumb sized vein, my aorta.

The tumor board of oncologists and surgeons came to a unanimous decision, all agreed I should live out my life. Surgery would be too risky, too life threatening. A follow up appointment with the thoracic surgeon gave me my first strand of hope. He said, despite the tumor board’s decision, “You are strong, you’re young but you need to go to a hospital where all they do is heart and lung transplants day in and out. After sending my records, scans, to our chosen surgeon at Cleveland Clinic we ran away to Williamsburg to walk in the sun, wait for his call and pray. Would he too agree it was too risky?

When the call came, we had just stepped out of Chowning Tavern. Dr. Murthy said, “I have a stack a mile high of information on you but the one thing I can’t learn from all this is, what do you want?” I said, “I wanted to live to be 94!” The conversation went on about the many risks, and I asked, “If I don’t’ do anything and just live out my life, how long do I have?” He felt I had three years at most. I thanked him for the answer to my prayer. Clarity.

The call ended and looking at each other in shock, we hugged, we cried and walked a few steps away to the historic Bruton parish church. When I sat in Thomas Jefferson’s pew, randomly opening the bible, my eyes fell on Psalm 23, The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He leadeth me to lie down in green pastures…Jesus was so with me!

I rejoined pat and my daughter Claire outside and we walked across an open field to stand under the great Compton Oak. It was a scorching hot sunny day but under that tree all felt cooler somehow. We took this picture and it looks like we just won a mega lottery, and in a way, we felt we did. Clarity. A chance. Hope. A plan. Mega millions.

I came to see that enormous tree with its enormous limbs that stretched out for miles to be Jesus. As long as I stayed close to Him, I would have that feeling of indomitable hope. During my weeks and months ahead, if I had moments of anxiety or fear, depression or despair I would tell myself I had walked away from the Tree, from Jesus and close my eyes and walk back under the cool shade of His tree. When loved ones felt lost, anxious or helpless on this journey, I asked them to join me under The Tree.

I hope in the sharing of my story, you will find a peace and calm in your storm. Find a tree. They were all created out of His great love for each of us! Thank you Jesus for being The Tree for me! Amen.