A Letter from Linda

Linda has had a much better week this past week. We hope she will get a clean bill of health at doctors visits on Tuesday and Thursday. We also hope to resume the Temodar (oral chemo) as soon as possible.

This morning (Sunday), I finished preaching the series on 2 Timothy (16 messages in all) at church. Paul mentions several of his friends in 2 Timothy 4:9-22 - some friends who were faithless, some who were good, and the best friend, Jesus. At the end of the message I read a letter of thanks to the church from Linda. I thought it appropriate to publish it here, because so many of you outside our church have been so kind to us in the same way our church family has been. So, to all our friends, both in and out of Grace Community Church, here is a letter from Linda, written last night:

Dear Church Family,

Ever since February and our startling diagnosis, we have been amazed and comforted by the outpouring of love, kindness, sharing, and friendship shown by the Grace Community Church family. My own family, most of whom are in full-time ministry with many different churches all over the country and who have been my constant caregivers, have said that they have never seen such an outpouring of love and kindness from any church. The food, music, books, clothes, personal touches, monetary gifts, visits, Scriptures, prayer shawls and pillow covers, and encouraging cards (that are still arriving), remind us that our friends are still praying!

When we first received the diagnosis, I was reading Elizabeth Elliott’s Secure in the Everlasting Arms, one of my favorite books. She mentions the gracious gifts of God as being like the “winks of heaven.” I still think of that when one of you comes to our home bringing one of your delicious meals. It is like God’s grace smiling and winking at us. We are so undeserving of all you – our church family – have done for us, but you have truly allowed yourselves to be pipelines straight from God’s heart to meet our family’s needs. There is no way I can ever express my deep and full gratitude for everything you have done for me – and for my family. Words are so inadequate right now. I just wish you could feel and know my heart. I am not able to write individual notes like I’d like, and don’t do well at even occasional phone call attempts – I get too emotional so easily these days. Many of you were my friends before all this, and many others of you I’ve gotten to know better through these months. I look forward to deepening our friendships, old and new, even more. Please help me to see that happen!
Over and over I have read that one great enemy of cancer patients is the horrible “valley of LONELINESS.” And we have seen it on the faces of fellow cancer patients, such as in the radiation waiting room at the hospital. But over and over I have told Brad that regardless of whatever else I have had to struggle with in recent months, loneliness has not been one of my enemies. And I want to tell you how grateful I am to all of you for that! I do not take that for granted. God has blessed Brad and me with a church family full of true friends. You have met our needs in our family’s weakest, darkest times, and we are so grateful for your friendship. We, as well as every one of our children, have expressed that we have learned so much from you. We have especially learned how to serve others much better than we have in the past. We all look forward to opportunities to be a better friend to others, the way you have been to us.

Thank you again, dear friends, for every meal, kind expression, card, and “wink of God’s grace” you have shared with me and my family. I love you!

Linda Talley