Be Still

Foreword
By: JaneAnne Tager
Dear reader, it is my honor to introduce you to my friend Sarah. Sarah is a young woman of divine insight - wisdom beyond her years. She carries herself softly but with intention. She exhibits a maturity far beyond her years, as she offers you this work at the young age of 19.

She writes sharing her experience and journey with cancer. She sees this journey as a challenge, an obstacle placed before her by God to offer her strength. This strength will allow her to accomplish her dreams. Dreams to her to make a change and better the world of those around her so that their strengths may ripple out to the betterment of their communities.

Sarah lives her life with Grace. She is so thoughtful and reflective. Reflections offer her the opportunity to become wiser. This book is a part of her reflection. I invite you to embrace her words so that you may see more joy in your daily experiences. See challenges as an opportunity for growth. As Sarah does, embrace the needs of others and see their needs as an opportunity for you to give more fully of yourself, just as Sarah does. Thank you, Sarah. Your words will help us all live more simply and mindfully.

JaneAnne, a friend, thankful to have experienced your laughter, stories, and thoughts, which are reminders of how to live my own life more joyfully.

Proverbs 24:13-14 King James Version (KJV)
13 My son, eat thou, honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste
14 So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.


I found myself writing this book when I kept thinking about how I wanted to have something to give to my family and friends-to people important to me to make sure they understand how much I love and cherish them. I almost died. I wanted something to comfort me and to comfort those I left behind. I wanted to share the inner sanctuary I have in my heart where God is ever present because life throws messes at us, yet God is always there. I always like to seek the amazing grace in everyday good and bad moments. Once you find yourself doing that, you feel a whole lot smaller and God feels a whole lot bigger. When you understand that, you begin to be still and simply allow the power of God wash over you to protect and love you.

Through every day of pain and turmoil, I would intentionally try to find one thing- just one thing to be happy about. Something funny, something I saw, felt, heard, smelled. Something simple, something incredible. God's grace is in all of it, I wanted to saturate myself in His Glory. I learned I always was able to grasp things better when I was still. Be still and pay attention, God is knocking.

We all have a story. I think it's important to share your story with your grandchildren and with your people. It's like you give a part of yourself to them to keep forever, and in doing that you might just inspire. This may not be a good story, but it's my story, a story unfinished and imperfect, but without a doubt, it's done with intention and compassion.

So many people are a part of my story- so many wonderful people. It did not seem right to not showcase God's almighty power through the godly works of people. My people- people in my life all the time and only in passing- who always came up to me with a kind word or prayer. People who gave so much to see my worldly worries silenced.

My cancer motivated this story, but it did not write it. The tragedies that happened following sickness may have made what I needed to say clearer, but cancer did not write this story.

Our lives are filled with worry; sometimes it can be difficult to not let that worry consume us. I used to worry and be anxious about everything; family members, finances, school, career, future, agriculture, the world, myself and everyone else. What I have learned through all of this is that worry solves nothing; it just makes us sick and miserable. I believe even when bad things happen, if you believe it is God's will, and it's in His perfect timing in a perfect plan, you can push through the normal stress and worry- push through to a realization that God's got this, and we have to trust and be anxious for nothing. You can find me now, simultaneously aspiring for my next goal while loving and relishing where I am right now. I hope after reading this, you will too. I think all things are made for good through God. Worry will eat us alive but, being still and calming ourselves down enough to realize the sacredness of every day and the holiness of God will set us free.

People always wonder what it’s really like to have that terrible "C" word if they haven't had it. They wish to understand so they can support the ones who do face it. If you do have that dreaded "C" word, or have had it, you know. Even then, the human brain can block out traumatic experiences to help us move on or we choose to not think about it. If any of you know me, you know I overthink and overanalyze everything. I get it honest, however, a large chunk of my family does that until they can solve a problem or understand something. This story, my story gives insight to that. More than anything it gives insight to the Amazing Grace of God, we just have to Be Still.


Introduction

The Grim Reaper caught me but had to let me go.