Party of Three

This morning was my husband Terry’s day for his weekly cancer treatment. Although it was for the best, Terry feared the painful side effects of radiation that lasted for hours afterward, along with nausea from the oral chemo. There were just the two of us; we had no family nearby. We felt alone, overwhelmed with grief. As Terry’s caregiver, I felt too weak and exhausted to “keep on keeping on.”

When I walked into the living room, expecting to find Terry crouched over in pain, I found something else. Terry was sitting up, eager to talk.

What was this?

As I drove us to the clinic, Terry shared with me a dream he’d had the night before. In the dream, we were entering our favorite restaurant, and Jesus joined us. It was one of those upscale restaurants that announce your name as a “party of two.” But Jesus reminded Terry that we were not just a party of two; we were actually a party of three.

While waiting for Terry to emerge from his treatment, I contemplated the words of Jesus from Terry’s dream and that phrase, “a party of three.” I was comforted that with Jesus in our party, I could walk in enough strength to keep going as Terry’s caregiver toward better days ahead and even victories.