by Melissa Fisher

October has changed. As a month that used to be exclusively associated with the colors orange and black, it now arrives with a sea of pink. We buy pink shopping bags, our airline pilots are wearing pink ties, and everyday products become pink advertisements for donating to breast cancer research through one organization or another. An otherwise taboo subject, a women’s chest becomes the center of attention in America as we celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month each October. Pink was the color picked—although I’m not sure by whom—to represent the cause.

This year, I decided to participate in creating awareness by walking in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure event in Washington D.C. As a military wife who has spent some recent years overseas, it is nice to be back in the states where I can participate in such events. I think sometimes I get caught up in military life. It’s easy to focus on our own unique sets of woes and struggles. It’s easy to think that the world revolves around PCS’s and deployments. It’s not an easy life, but it’s easy to forget about everything else. For a while, I was wrapped up in my own little world, living overseas, where the majority of my thoughts and concerns were focused on my husband’s job and the life it created for us.

An acquaintance named Sara was in the same boat as me. Our husbands were stationed together and I had the privilege of meeting her and her husband, Brady, through our couple’s Bible study. The Bible study members loved to pray for each other, and most prayer requests were related to our military lives. In fact, Brady was preparing for his first deployment and we had been praying for his entire squadron. Suddenly, a bomb was dropped on her world, and it wasn’t from a jet: Sara had found a lump in her left breast. That same week, they discovered that Sara was pregnant with their first child.

When I first heard that Sara was pregnant, my instinct was to fear the potential outcomes, the what-ifs, and the unknowns. I felt immature in my faith when I realized that their reactions were the complete opposite: They were elated about the pregnancy and faithful that God had a plan. For Brady and Sara, their faiths never wavered. Throughout their journey of chemo treatments and pregnancy, every word that was heard from their mouths was laced with grace and peace. Brady and Sara were ideal models—at least in my mind—for walking through fire with faith in God.

My summarization of Sara’s story doesn’t do her legacy any justice. She never doubted God’s plan. She didn’t complain to the rest of us, “Why me?” Sara’s breast cancer didn’t define her; she simply used it as another measure to reach people for Christ. She accepted her lot in life and used it to God’s glory in any way possible. With joy, Brady and Sara welcomed their beautiful and healthy daughter into the world in September 2009. Just two weeks later, Sara lost her battle and went home to be with Jesus.

Although it still makes me sad to realize she is gone, Sara’s legacy is an inspiration to me. In fact, she seemed to inspire everyone she met along the way. It didn’t seem to matter if you were Sara’s best friend, an acquaintance like me, or a random visitor to her blog: to come across her story was to witness the love of Christ. She was so inspiring that several visitors to her memorial service came to know Christ that very evening. What a legacy! It takes an amazing person to bring people to Christ, even after she is no longer here.

I have recently wondered, “What is my legacy? Am I person of faith, or am I too bitter about my unfortunate circumstances for God to use me for his purpose?” I hope that my family and friends would remember me as a person of faith. I hope that instead of defining myself by the number of months I have been separated from my husband or the number of times we have moved, that I make it a point to emit an attitude of grace and peace, no matter what the circumstance. I hope that, if God so willed it, I would walk through a difficult trial, such as breast cancer, with confidence and trust in God.

What is your legacy?

Sara’s story is the feature story this month for Komen Dallas Race for the Cure. You can view a short video about Sara at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUMr6kXwT4Q . The Sullivan family blog can be viewed at www.bandssullivan.blogspot.com .

About the Author:
Melissa Fisher enjoys running, traveling, and writing bible studies for YoungLives.  She currently lives in Arizona with her two young children and her husband who is an active duty member of the U.S. Air Force.  Her blog can be found at www.teenmombiblestudies.com.