It can't be

Went to church tonight. I was in the sanctuary sorting the music as usual. There was a few people practicing a skit for the upcoming sermon on Sunday. Lot's of levity ... a little bit of humor that proved the point that we should never allow teenagers into our practices, and we certainly are not a pious church! (needed to take my brain out and wash it with soap before it was done).

When I was done, I went into the back, sat down with some friends and my 20 year old neice, glad she came in AFTER the jokes had ended ...cause my over protective sister would have decked me if she'd heard the jokes ... and we sat and talked ..

Then a man came in. A sweet man, who runs the computer every few Sundays. I didn't think too much when he went up to talk to the Pastor's wife. His wife is the church secretary, I figured it was church business. I heard Donna ... I saw him crying. I saw my pastor's wife go pale.

I stopped talking.

I heard Donna ... breast cancer.

I went up to the front ... and we prayed.
I saw Donna earlier ... about an hour before she found out. I knew she looked 'not right'. I didn't know she'd had a biopsy the day before.

We don't have the details, other than, a lumpectomy isn't going to be enough, at least a partial mastectomy. Chemo is a definite, and radiation.

This woman is quiet, peaceful and strong ... and keeps the church running.
She is sweet, and kind ... and runs hospital visits ... any person in our church goes to the hospital and this woman goes to see them. Period. She makes sure that everyone who is sick, is taken care of. Not because she is the secretary ...but because, that's her ministry.

Her granddaughter is one of my sons best friends. She's in my mother's small group. I work with her husband in the worship team on the support side. Donna and I visit every week when I go to pull the music, or take care of my Sunday School Class stuff ...

I didn't quite realize how entangled she and I have been in my life.
My heart is breaking for her and her family. My heart is breaking for our friendship. My heart is breaking for my pastor and his family as he deals with this.

My prayers of coarse, will be going out for her, I hope she knows how loved she is and will feel the prayers as she goes through the next weeks and months.