Shine On!

**Update- 8/15** It is with an absolute broken heart that I update this post to tell you that Christie passed away this morning. Saddened that she has left this earth, but rejoicing that she is made whole again in the arms of our most Heavenly Father. Please pray for the amazing family she has left behind and the tender hearts of her sweet children.**

If you've read this blog for a while, you've probably read my posts about Christie Devitt. Few people have had the profound, life-changing impact on my life as she has.

I met Christie in 2008 while working at the hospital in Lubbock. She was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 29 when she was pregnant with her second child. She went on to have a healthy baby girl and endured multiple treatments, a mastectomy, drug induced menopause and recently had an Ommaya Port placed under her scalp. She was in remission for a couple of years, but discovered in May that the cancer had returned. I received her CarePage update today with the news that as a family they have decided to treat her as a person and not the horrible disease that has gripped her body. She has fought hard and her body has undergone more than you can imagine.

I know many people are faced with cancer or terminal illness and everyone handles the prognosis differently. I honestly don't know how I would respond, but I do know that she has met this disease with astounding dignity, poise, honor and grace. She has shared her testimony with many others, raised thousands of dollars for cancer research, prayed for others rather than seeking prayers for herself and lives every day to the fullest. One of her main concerns upon receiving the news that the cancer had returned was that those who have followed her journey and so diligently prayed for her would waiver in their faith. She is a true example of selflessness for the cross. My faith has not waivered because her cancer returned. Rather, she is to be credited for a turning point in my faith three years ago and has taught me so much about what it looks like to live a life of humility.

I can't explain how a woman whom I hardly know has changed my life and that of thousands of others. She is a light unto the world and she continues to shine on. The legacy she has written will always live and it stands above the rest because she has suffered and endured and pointed people not to herself, but to Jesus. She is not giving up and continues to pray for healing, but knows that she may not be healed on this side of heaven. I continue to pray for her as well as her husband, children and the rest of her family. We do not know what God's plans for her are, but she has fought the good fight and her battle is won.

Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:12