Surrounded by Angels

This morning I read the remarkable story of a St. Louis woman, Rachel Lozano, who recently celebrated five years of remission from cancer. Diagnosed with a rare cancer while in high school, she recovered only to have second occurrence in which the cancer threatened her internal organs and should have killed her in weeks or months.

That she survived is one of God's miracles – in fact the Catholic Church is talking about canonizing William Joseph Chaminade, founder of the Marianists, over the whole deal. That's a topic for somene else's blog.

Through this all Rachel kept her humor (she named her tumor "Spanky"), fortitude, and her remarkable faith. She is now a motivational speaker and a college student at Webster University. She was named woman of the year by the readers of Glamour Magazine.

"It makes me realize that I'm here for a reason, or more than one reason, that God has plans for me," Rachel wrote in her blog, obsessedwithlife.com.
Last July she married Gabe Lozano. He told a reporter, "Life is not always you think it will be or what you like it to be. But it is the way it's supposed to be."

A few years ago I was in a position where, through my own stupidity and arrogance, I could have died. God's will and a surgeon's skill allowed me to live. Right now I'm personally living a season I never expected to see and would not have chosen for myself.

But I'm surrounded by angels in human form, showing me God's grace every day. To quote Rachel: "I'm here for a reason." Or as her husband Gabe said: "Life... is the way supposed to be."

"The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever."