Liza Talusan Has Chispa

by  • 

NovDec-Liza-Talusan-Shes-Got-Chispa-Chispa-Magazine

Liza Talusan: Wife, Mother, Daughter, Sister, Cousin, Friend, Doctoral Student, Facilitator + Warrior

What have you overcome? “Over the past few years, I have whispered to God, “Isn’t that enough? Haven’t you tested me enough, God?”

My family story has been filled with cancer. Just a year after I married my husband, my mother-in-law was diagnosed with breast cancer. I then gave birth to my first child, who just two years later would be diagnosed with a rare form of aggressive eye cancer called retinoblastoma. This cancer left her with a prosthetic eye, a protocol of chemotherapy before her third birthday, and yearly hospital visits for life. Just after she finished chemotherapy, my oldest sister was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 36, just after she gave birth to her first child. Since then, I have lost many family members and friends to cancer. And, at the age of 36, I then elected to have a preventative bilateral mastectomy after learning that I had a genetically high risk of cancer.

In those early years, especially after my daughter was diagnosed, I often asked ourselves, “Why me? Why me, God? What did I do, God?” I was in pain and disbelief. While others around me prayed, I simply could not call on God. I felt hurt and in shock, and I was just trying to get through each day without falling apart.

Yet, each time I saw my daughter connected to multiple tubes of different chemotherapy drugs, her colorful eye patches that concealed her missing eye, and her breezy hospital gown, she always had such a smile on her face. Despite fighting for her life, Joli smiled. Joli laughed. Joli carried that of God within her.

It was through Joli’s smile that I stopped asking ourselves, “Why me?” and instead began to proclaim, “Of course, me. Of course my family was picked to go through this journey. Because, God knew that Joli was strong enough to handle this. And, through God’s trust and plan, He knew I would endure.” And, it was through God’s grace that Joli taught all of us how to not only be strong but also to be humble.

I haven’t overcome these challenges; instead, I have accepted that they are part of God’s lessons for me. I trust that God has a larger plan for me, and He keeps providing them to me so that I may learn to trust Him even more. To me, endurance isn’t about seeing how many times I can pass the tests that God gives me; to me, endurance is believing in and loving God through them all.”

For more of Liza Talusan, and the many faces of perseverance order your copy of the November | December, Overcoming Issue here. 

Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedinmail
Mavian Arocha-Rowe

Mavian Arocha-Rowe

Editor-in-Chief at Chispa Magazine
Mavian Arocha-Rowe is known as an asset to the business and communications industry and is motivating and advocating “your authenticity should be your strategy,” for all women, regardless of their season and roles. For the past 20 years she has directed magazines, plus multiple art and marketing departments as creative director and brand manager. What supersedes all of her great career moves is her role as wife and mother living in Atlanta. Challenging herself to discover and bravely pursue the calling for her life, Arocha-Rowe helps other women discover and pursue their life’s assignment. She is a passionate, and loud-laughing speaker on the topic of purposefully redeemed, and mentors young women so they can exercise a mind that is doctrinally pure, along with a heart that beats toward sanctification. She will almost never turn down Marlow’s Tavern double-tavern cheeseburger, a cooking-demonstration from Leaning Ladder, or any opportunity to head to Miami to spend time with family.
Mavian Arocha-Rowe

Latest posts by Mavian Arocha-Rowe (see all)

Mavian Arocha-Rowe

Mavian Arocha-Rowe is known as an asset to the business and communications industry and is motivating and advocating “your authenticity should be your strategy,” for all women, regardless of their season and roles. For the past 20 years she has directed magazines, plus multiple art and marketing departments as creative director and brand manager. What supersedes all of her great career moves is her role as wife and mother living in Atlanta. Challenging herself to discover and bravely pursue the calling for her life, Arocha-Rowe helps other women discover and pursue their life’s assignment. She is a passionate, and loud-laughing speaker on the topic of purposefully redeemed, and mentors young women so they can exercise a mind that is doctrinally pure, along with a heart that beats toward sanctification. She will almost never turn down Marlow’s Tavern double-tavern cheeseburger, a cooking-demonstration from Leaning Ladder, or any opportunity to head to Miami to spend time with family.