If there’s one thing I have learned on this cancer journey, it’s that one of the hardest parts isn’t always the diagnosis itself; it’s the waiting.

Waiting for the phone call.

Waiting for the test.

Waiting for the results.

Waiting for the appointment.

Waiting for the next step.

When you hear the words, “You have cancer,” your first instinct is simple: Get it out of me. You want it gone as quickly as possible. But before treatment can begin, your medical team has to gather every piece of information they can. They want to understand exactly what they’re treating, and while I am incredibly grateful for their thoroughness, that doesn’t make the waiting any easier.

It feels like torture.

Each appointment often leads to another test. Each test leads to another period of waiting. Mammograms. Ultrasounds. Biopsies. MRIs. Pathology reports. Surgery. Follow-up appointments. More waiting. It can feel like your life is put on pause while your mind refuses to stop moving.

The waiting brings sleepless nights.

The tossing and turning.

The anxiety.

The endless “what if” questions that seem to grow louder in the silence.

You find yourself wondering what the next phone call will bring. You try to stay positive while your mind quietly prepares for every possible outcome. It’s an emotional tug-of-war between hope and fear.

And somehow, in the middle of all of this, you’re expected to keep living.

You go to work.

You smile.

You take care of your family.

You answer questions with, “I’m okay.”

You try to pretend life is normal, even though nothing feels normal.

That may be one of the most difficult parts of this journey; trying to live while you’re waiting for the next piece of your story to unfold.

I’ve learned that waiting requires a different kind of strength. It’s the strength to trust when you don’t have answers. The courage to keep showing up when your heart feels heavy. The faith to believe that God is walking beside you, even in the uncertainty.

Waiting doesn’t mean nothing is happening.

Sometimes, while we’re waiting, doctors are gathering the information they need to give us the best possible treatment. Sometimes healing begins long before treatment does. Sometimes God is working behind the scenes in ways we cannot yet see.

If you’re in a season of waiting right now; whether it’s because of cancer or another difficult chapter; I want you to know you’re not alone.

I know how heavy it feels.

I know how long the days can seem.

I know how exhausting the uncertainty becomes.

But I also know this: the waiting will not last forever.

One appointment at a time.

One breath at a time.

One prayer at a time.

We’ll get through it together.

But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.-Isaiah 40:31

With hope,

Michelle

Imagine Michelle