Smiles and Prayers

In my previous post, I mentioned that Drew and I had went to Sumter today. And I said I would explain...so here I go...

We went to Sumter because the operating partner of Sonic in Sumter (Mike Gerbode) wife (Nicole) is very sick. Earlier this week she was diagnosed with leukemia. In less than a week her entire life has changed She went from working to being in the hospital, to holding her baby, to holding IVs in her arm. She is only 28 years old and has a precious baby boy named Nathaniel who is only 10 months old.

In November, Nicole was feeling sick so she went to the doctor. They gave her some meds for a sinus infection and sent her on her way. She still wasn't feeling very well, and so went back to the doctor. They gave her meds for strep throat. A few weeks later she was still sick, so she went back to the doctor this past Monday, and they did some blood work. They immediately sent her to the hospital and she was given the official news on Tuesday that she has leukemia. The doctors said they didn't even know how she was still walking.

Today Drew and I drove down to see her. Well Drew mainly to see Mike, because Drew was going to run his store next week since Garners Ferry store was closed, but....anyway....I tagged along, because I wanted to see Nicole and pray for her. She was my first real Sonic friend from all the operating partners at Sonic and we just had that special friend connection. She helped me learn all my Sonic lingo, and what the operating partners did, and everything about being a wife of an operating partner. She is very special to me for taking me under her wing. Although, I don't see her as much as I would like b/c she lives in Sumter, we always pick up where we left off...

I wasn't sure what I would see when I walked in the hospital room to see Nicole. I thought I might see her shriveled up, sad, depressed,  I honestly didn't know...after all I had never seen a cancer patient before.

But when the door to her room opened I was immediately greeted with a big smile. I walked over to her and gave her the biggest hug I could. She was hooked up to an IV, but she was in such high spirits. She laughed while I was there and she was staying strong in her faith.

And as I looked around the room with her mom, sister, brother, husband, all sitting there they filled the room with hope too. They talked about their faith, they asked me for my prayers, they just knew that God was going to take care of Nicole. That she is young, that she has everything worth fighting for, and that she will survive this.

A few minutes later, the church chaplain came into the room. As he prayed I laid my hand on Nicole's arm and I could just feel God in the room as we prayed over Nicole's healing. The tears starting rolling down my cheeks, and I really didn't know if I could contain myself.

I thought to myself how could God do this to such a sweet young mother? How could she survive this? What type of strength must she have?

I quickly erased those thoughts, as I looked into Nicole's eyes. I know in my heart that she has everything to fight for. She has a beautiful 10 month old baby to take care of. A young marriage that will only grow stronger over the years, and a family that is filled with God's love and hope.

Nicole is going to beat this cancer. I know she is. I know it because when it's all said and done she said she's going to get a tattoo that says "I kicked cancer in the a**" :) Heck yeah! Amen to that!

Sitting with Nicole today made me realize how lucky we are. How lucky we are that no matter what struggles we face in life God will be there to pull us through it...after all ...

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"

and of course my other favorite bible verse....

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.


God has plans for each and everyone of us. Plans to prosper us. I know that Nicole will beat this cancer. She is already an inspiration to us all. To sit there with someone so young, to have just found out she has cancer 2 days ago and to be in such high spirits is so beyond me. It's so inspirational.

To think about what I complain about in a day, and to have sat there with Nicole, and she didn't complain not one bit about being hooked up to all those meds at Christmas time. It brings tears to my eyes. Tears of sadness for her news, but tears of joy to know that she and her family already know that God is taking care of her. What an AMAZING feeling that is!

I ask, my blogger friends, to please say a prayer over Nicole, her husband Mike, and their baby boy Nathaniel. I know it's only going to get harder as she begins her chemo but to start out with such strong faith and spirits, well she is on the right track to beating this cancer. God will be with her and I ask that you just keep her and her family in your thoughts and prayers as she kicks cancer in the butt! :)

Thank you my friends! Love you all!