Victoria Jackson - Lavender Hair: 21 Devotions for Women with Breast Cancer

BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC

Racine, Wisconsin, USA

BroadStreetPublishing.com

Lavender Hair: 21 Devotions for Women with Breast Cancer

Copyright 2017 Victoria Jackson

ISBN-13: 978-1-4245-5562-8 (softcover)

ISBN-13: 978-1-4245-5563-5 (e-book)

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without permission in writing from the publisher.

The information in this book is designed to provide encouraging and entertaining information on the subjects discussed. This book is not meant to be used, nor should it be used, to diagnose or treat any medical condition. The publisher and author are not responsible for actions taken by any person reading or following the information in this book. Please consult a professional for any medical condition you may have. References are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute endorsement by the author or publisher. The names of some people mentioned in this book have been changed to protect their privacy.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scriptures marked ISV are taken from the International Standard Version (ISV), copyright 1996-2008 by the ISV Foundation. All rights reserved internationally. Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188, USA. All rights reserved Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright 2000; 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Scripture marked KJV is taken from the King James Version of the Bible. Scripture quotations marked CEB are taken from the Common English Bible, Copyright 2011 by Common English Bible.

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Printed in the United States of America

17 18 19 20 21 5 4 3 2 1

For with God nothing shall be impossible.

LUKE 1:37

W ho me? I cant write a devotional. Im too bitter and jaded and sarcastic and skeptical.

But, every time a bitter, jaded, sarcastic, or skeptical thought comes into my head, a Bible verse flies in and kicks it out. Shoo!

Is that what a devotional is? A personal story where the Word of God saves the day?

Yes?

Well, I can do that!

Gods Word has been the light of my path my whole life. Sometimes, at the fork in the road, Ive taken the wrong path, but His hand has guided me back to Him and to the narrow way.

Sometimes when Ive taken a stand for Christ, Ive lost career opportunities and friends. And my thoughts become, Maybe theyre right. I am nuts! I believe in a fairy tale! God is invisible! But then, I stumble upon the blue robins eggs in a nest in the evergreen tree in my backyard and I realize I am in awe of this Great Designer. I watch my grandchildren laugh and play and I think about their mothers little heartbeat that started in my stomach. I watch the archaeologists in the Middle East uncovering Sodom and Gomorrah. I hear scientists trying to explain DNA. I study the Bible and am amazed at the new things Im discovering after all these years. I know whom I have believed (2 Timothy 1:12), and I know He will finish the good work He started in me (Philippians 1:6).

Then, I doubt again the next day.

I mean, the wooden sign that sits under my TV in my bedroom, the sign I look at every night says, I believe. Help my unbelief. Mark 9:24.

Boom! A Bible verse kicked the doubt right out of my head, again.

So, I guess I can write a devotional. I have felt the presence of God.

Ever since I was six years old and realized that the preacher at Carol City Baptist Church wasnt just talking to the congregation God was talking to me personally, and God so loved the world (John 3:16) meant God loved VickiI have gone to the Word of God for the answers to all my questions. As for God, his way is perfect: The Lords Word is flawless; He shields all who take refuge in Him (Psalm 18:30).

When I got cancer last year, my Bible training came in very handy. I needed it. And, I had to live the Word, not just read it, memorize it, or talk about it.

This is my testimony. I pray that the God of hope [will] fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13).

Double mastectomy day, Nov. 17, 2015.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

PHILIPPIANS 4:13 ESV

I cant stop coughing. Im lying on the couch in the green room at Zanies Comedy Club in Nashville. Its October 8, 2015. In just a few moments, I have to perform a forty-five-minute comedy routine in front of a live audience. But I can barely say one sentence without coughing! Im drinking tea with lemon and honey, sucking on cough drops, and praying, then repeating the cycle. Im trying out some new jokes:

For some reason, a lot of people think Im political! What happened is, I went to the town hall to renew my tags, and I got in the wrong line. They wanted twenty-five signatures. I said, To drive? Then, they asked me which political party I was in. I dont know why they call it a party. Everyone is fighting all the time. I picked Tea Party, because it sounded the most fun. They said, Who are you voting for? I said, Earl Grey. I thought it was about the tea!

Stand-up comedy is the scariest thing Ive ever done. No, auditioning for Saturday Night Live (SNL) was. No, doing a back handspring on the four-inch-wide balance beam when I was twelve years old. No, getting held up by a robber with a gun in a parking lot in downtown Los Angeles in 1980. No, being told I had cancer. No uh, marriage is the hardest!

You know, when you get cancer, it doesnt make all of your other ongoing problems go away. It just shuffles around your trials and tribulations list, and cancer jumps up on top.

And cancer can make your current list of challenges harder or easier. Some problems fade under the magnitude of the word fatal. Other problems are exacerbated. My oncologist said weak marriages dont survive breast cancer. Of my four married cancer friends, two of the four marriages did not survive. My marriage is a daily spiritual battle. We pray through each day. So far, we are still married. Twenty-five years. One day at a time.