Take Heart: Discouraged

There is one little soul in our house who has taken her new job very seriously.

Her name is Dory.

If you’ve never met her, she’s our dachshund with a sweet personality and an even bigger love for food, naps, and making sure I never leave her sight.

These days, she’s become my full-time chemo nurse.

If I move to the couch, she moves to the couch.

If I head to the kitchen, she’s right behind me—just in case I accidentally drop a snack.

If I close the bathroom door, she’s patiently waiting on the other side as if I’ve been gone for hours.

I laugh because she’s convinced I’m her responsibility.

The funny thing is…

Four years ago, Dory was the one battling cancer.

I remember praying over her, caring for her, and hoping for more time together.

Today, our roles have quietly reversed.

Now, she’s the one keeping watch over me.

Maybe she’s just making sure I don’t disappear.

Or maybe God is reminding me that His love often arrives in unexpected ways.

As comforting as Dory is, there are still moments when the house grows quiet.

Chemotherapy requires isolation to protect my weakened immune system, and while the rest is necessary, the silence can become overwhelming.

The mind has a way of wandering when the calendar suddenly has more empty spaces than appointments.

The bills continue to arrive.

Work continues without me.

Life doesn’t pause just because treatment does.

Before long, discouragement quietly slips into the room.

It whispers questions I’d rather not hear.

“How are we going to make it?”

“What if I can’t get back to work soon enough?”

“What if this season lasts longer than I expect?”

If you read my last blog, you know these thoughts all seem to lead back to one word…

Control.

I want to fix everything.

I want to solve every problem.

I want to protect the people I love.

But cancer has taught me something I never wanted to learn.

Some battles cannot be won by trying harder.

They are won by trusting deeper.

Discouragement wants us to believe today’s struggle is the end of the story.

God reminds us it’s only one chapter.

The Gardener is still working beneath the surface, even when I can’t yet see the bloom.

Some days, taking heart isn’t about feeling brave.

It’s choosing faith when fear is louder.

It’s thanking God before the answer comes.

It’s believing His promises when my circumstances try to convince me otherwise.

As I write this, Dory is curled up at my feet-touching me, completely content just to be near me.

She doesn’t know what my lab work says.

She doesn’t understand chemotherapy.

She doesn’t worry about tomorrow’s bills.

She simply stays.

And maybe that’s another lesson God is teaching me.

His presence doesn’t leave when life becomes uncertain.

He stays.

So if discouragement has found its way into your heart today, whether you’re facing illness, financial stress, grief, or another burden no one else can see, I hope you’ll remember this…

You don’t have to carry it alone.

Take heart.

The Gardener is still tending His garden.

And one day, we’ll look back and realize He was growing something beautiful all along.

🌸 Bloom Moment

Today, my greatest reminder of God’s faithfulness had four little legs.

Dory never lets me out of her sight. Maybe she’s hoping for a treat…or maybe she’s reminding me of something even sweeter—that love stays close.

Sometimes God’s comfort comes through Scripture.

Sometimes it comes through friends.

And sometimes it comes wrapped in floppy ears, a wagging tail, and a heart that refuses to leave your side.

Take Heart,

Missy & Dory 🐾🌹