Bible Study - Mark 15:33 Dharma

Dharma : 

Dharma Adapted from: Chicken Soup for the Unsinkable Soul – Deborah Tyler Blais A Woman’s Fear of Death Copyrighted material that appears in this article is included under the provisions of the Fair Use Clause of the National Copyright Act, which allows limited reproduction of copyrighted materials for educational and religious use when no financial charge is made for viewing.

The Lake : 

The Lake Nearing the lake on a warm September morning, I heard a tiny meowing sound. I wanted to ignore the cries. I’ve been through enough lately, I thought, I can hardly take care of myself. Three months earlier, at the age of 37, I had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Because the cancer was in more than one place I needed a radical mastectomy. I still remember the shock and denial. I silently cried to God, I’m too young for that. A few weeks later, while I was recovering from the mastectomy, the surgeon called with more bad news: “The cancer has spread to your lymph nodes. Chemotherapy offers the best chance for survival.” I kept thinking, “Oh, God, I’m going to die.”

Faith : 

Faith I was terrified of dying. Many of my friends drew comfort from their beliefs about the afterlife or reincarnation. I had trouble believing in things I couldn’t see or touch. I wanted proof. I prayed for God to show me the truth about death. With the fear of dying in my heart, I decided on an aggressive clinical trial. It included a combination of high-dose chemotherapy and a five-year follow-up with a hormone blocker. The chemo wiped me out completely. Even with antinausea drugs, I was sick every time. Two months into it, all I could do was get dressed and keep a little food down.

Blue Jays : 

Blue Jays In addition to working my wonderful husband was doing his best to take care of the house and his ill wife. I was irritable and lonely most of the time, we didn’t have children so I was alone all day. This short walk to the lake was my first time out in months. Meow! Meow! The insistent pleas continued. No! I really can’t care for an animal right now, I thought. Suddenly, ear-splitting shrieking and squawking filled the air. Four blue jays were dive-bombing a bush where the meowing was coming from.

Hairless : 

Hairless I shooed the birds away and found standing on wobbly legs a tiny three-week-old orange tabby, with bright blue eyes. Gathering him up into my arms, I headed to the lake to find his home. Finding no takers I decided to take him home temporarily until I could find him a home. Little did I know it, my heart had already been stolen by this kitten. For the next week, while I was bedridden, Dharma and I were constant companions. He loved snuggling, sometime trying to get right up under my chin. He didn’t even notice my lack of hair.

Butterflies : 

Butterflies I chose the name Dharma because in India it means “fulfilling one’s life purpose.” Cancer-recovery research has shown that finding and following one’s bliss or purpose supports the immune system & increases chances of survival. Dharma reminded me of that everyday. I always carried him everywhere we went around the house. It was comforting hearing him purr and feeling the love he expressed so freely. We have a fenced-in backyard, so when he got too wild for me, I would let him play out back with the other neighborhood cats. Dharma loved chasing butterflies. Last spring I planted Porter’s weed to attract them.

The Funeral : 

The Funeral Dharma spent many an hour chasing the butterflies but I don’t think he ever caught one. I finished my last reconstructive surgery in December and would return to work in February. Then 3 days later the unthinkable happened. Escaping from the backyard Dharma was hit and killed by a car. My life, too seemed to end at that moment. I was devastated and no one, not even Gary, could console me. I sat there on the same couch that Dharma and I had shared. Why, God, why? After we buried Dharma next to the Porter’s weeds and gave him a marker Gary said, “You know, I believe Dharma was sent by God to help you through a very rough time.”

Little Angel : 

Little Angel Now you’re through the worst of it, it’s time for Dharma to move on and help someone else. “Do you really think so?” I asked, wanting so badly to believe it was true. Gary said, “Look at the timing, you hadn’t been to the lake in months and the one day you go, you find Dharma blocks from our house in dire need of help. In rescuing him you get rescued as well. All of his gifts can’t be a coincidence. There’s definitely a reason he was put in your life when he was and also taken out when he was. He was your little angel.”

My Answer : 

My Answer I had gotten the much-needed answer to my prayer about death. I realized that he would go on in me forever, the same as I would in the lives of everyone I touched. I believe that Dharma gave his life so that I might know peace. When Dharma died, I awakened spiritually. I’m no longer afraid of death. Through Dharma, God showed me there is nothing to fear. There is only peace. And love. Now when ever I sit on the back steps, I see Dharma chasing butterflies for all eternity.

We Are Blessed : 

We Are Blessed Jesus lives in you forever. He lives in the hearts of those who believe. Christians are blessed because we know there is an afterlife, we know there is a God, we know He loves us. Jn 15:12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.13 Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.14 You are my friends if you do what I command you.15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends