As Scott Peck’s second book’s title read, Further Along the Road Less Travelled, he continues to describe the unending life journey towards Spiritual Growth.

His first book opened with the sentence, “Life is difficult.” and to that truth he added in his second book another translation: “Life is complex.”

Our journeys through life are made up of many pleasures and wonderful experiences, many joys, our walk with God and the joy of belonging to Him and having His Holy Spirit guiding us, watching and teaching our children while they grow up, building careers or in obedience to God, live out our different callings in life, enjoying lifelong true friends, becoming grandfathers and grandmothers ❤️ and so much more!

At some point in our lives, most of us go through difficult experiences of life, like the trauma of a loss like losing a parent or a spouse or a child, experience work-related conflicts, deal with a devastating cancer diagnosis or other illnesses, experience being misunderstood or rejected. It can be a very lonely and hard road. But most often it is necessary to grow in our walk with God!

Looking at the life of Jesus Christ, He was betrayed by one of His followers, Judas, who walked with Him for three years, knew His heart, knew His Ways, saw His miracles, but still betrayed Him. we often are unable to understand the suffering, humiliation, wrestling in prayer Jesus had, in His humanity and what He had to endure by people that misunderstood Him, that betrayed Him, that made Him suffer in the most cruel way. How must it have felt like to be on the cross, dying for the sins of a broken world totally abandoned and alone! At that moment He took our sins on Him, He represented the whole worlds’ sin!

I believe that God also allows seasons in our lives that are hurtful, crushing, humiliating, or shameful as a Job, David or an Elijah experienced.

Sometimes God must bring us to the end of ourselves, to the end of our striving, our pride or even getting to a point where one loses the desire to do any of the things one did for so many years, call it performance, call it people-pleasing, or wanting to be found worthy, or wanting to be recognized in some field/ area of life! Do not get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with excellence and being successful, but we can so easily start living with all sorts of idols in our life, the idol of work, the idol of of sport, the idol of money or materialism, the idol of a person who become too important in our lives. We want to have the applause of the world, and perform for an audience that would never satisfy our deepest need and longing to be completely loved by God! Our hearts can be deceived so easily!

During the last 5 years of my journey with breast cancer I read as much as I could, listened to podcasts of people who walked similar paths, read the Bible daily, prayed and studied the physical healings Jesus did. As a family we also made adjustments with nutritious meals, cutting sugar and gluten, drinking healthy smoothies, taking long walks and other exercise, having fellowship with an accountability group of true friends and also having a family, who supported us!

I started to use mostly products without hormones, as my cancer was caused by too much estrogen. I also started drinking almond milk. My oncologist prescribed an estrogen blocker for 5 years, and it became a huge challenge for me to persevere taking it daily, with all the side effects it has. He kept motivating me to use it for the full 5 years that will end by December 2026! I am so grateful that all scans and tests are clear so far!

When my husband became more ill during this time with Dementia, Parkinson’s symptoms and Progressive Supra Nuclear Palsy, my caring for him became very hard from November last year because of also the challenges I faced with my own health. He is now cared for at a care centre close to our home, where I visit him daily as far as possible.

May you, whatever you are facing, know that you are never alone! God is always present, even in the valleys and that is where He shapes us to grow and become more and more in character to His likeness. No one on this earth knows your journey with God and that is OK! He knows and that is ALL that matters!

He showed me recently again and again on specific days and nights to look at the the sun and the moon, and the Scripture in the Bible, His Word to us,

that came up in my heart was:

“The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory… the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end.”

Isaiah 60:19–20