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Cancer.....
opens the door to a previously unknown and unexperienced world. You feel and deal with pain that is totally new to you, yet you also gain insights you never had before.
Christ....
can strengthen you with a power beyond yourself. The Bible shares the story of a lame man who was healed in Acts 3 and 4, whose changed life had only one explanation.
This same comfort will help you each day.
Join others who have been there, and are there, as together we experience The Answer To Cancer.
We host an evening of encouragement for those affected by cancer.
You're welcome to join us at 7:00 pm the third Tuesday of each month.
"Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." - Psalm 55:22
This page includes some thoughts and testimonies that have helped people deal with cancer.
This first article comes from Vickie Garrison, a 12 year cancer survivor, an active member of our church and key contributor to the Answer to Cancer ministry.
"In with the Lions, Out with the Lamb"
He had never experienced such impenetrable darkness, but he was never more certain that light would prevail. He could feel the warm breath of danger brushing by him, but he was never more aware that the battle was not his. He had been a man of action and intellect, but he was now incapable of purposeful movement. He lost all sense of time as he waited, but as he waited he trusted. Inexplicable peace and joy enveloped him. Anticipation stirred his soul as love sustained him. Suddenly a distant voice broke through his silent celebration of God's grace. "Daniel, are you okay in there? Has God kept you safe?"
Those who experience the lions' den of cancer may be able to identify with Daniel. The familiar story found in the sixth chapter of Daniel provides encouragement and context for the cancer experience as it reveals the reality of a sovereign God who cares.
Those who are diagnosed with cancer may wonder "Why me?"
The testimonies of those who share that they prayed "really hard"
and were given negative test results may reinforce their fears of
God's displeasure or rejection. Although self-examination,
confession, and repentance are important functions for all of us,
it is important to note that Daniel was put in the lions' den because
of his faithfulness and obedience to God. As with the blind man in
John 9:3, God's purpose is not always immediately understood.
Cancer provides an invaluable opportunity to focus totally on our
Creator as our only source of meaning. We can trust His love when
we cannot understand our circumstances. The lions of doubt
threaten, but the Lamb of God calms our fears and gives perspective
to our situation. (II Timothy 1:7)
Cancer often results in an interruption in activity. As self-worth is often attached to accomplishment, being taken "out of service" may make us feel useless and weak. It may appear that Daniel may not have been able to do much while he was in with the lions, but in actuality his was the best possible service. He remained faithful to
his God. He continued to be what God wanted him to be even when his activity was limited. Cancer often forces us to choose "that good part" of spending time at the Savior's feet. (Luke 10:42) The lions limit our movement, but the Lamb of God provides fellowship for our spirits. (Ephesians 3:19)
Conversations with others may bring the cancer patient or
survivor potential wounds. Never having experienced the
treatment or its aftermath may lead others to comment on
their inability to return to work as quickly as others have,
the lack of desirability of their first no-wig hairstyle, and the "lopsided" results of reconstructive surgery. Sometimes those experiencing cancer become magnets for those who know someone who is suffering from cancer and "not doing well". Although God shut the mouths of the lions, they could still have been quite noisy in making their presence known. The roar of the lions of ignorance or insensitivity can be frighteningly loud, but the Lamb of God sustains us with His words of love and shields us from offense. (Psalm 119:165, Isaiah 50:4)
To those with cancer the world may feel dark and cold. The chill of the unknown may send the shiver of confusion on the path of treatment options and survivor statistics. All visible means of comfort may seem distant and inaccessible. The den was probably a physically uncomfortable place for Daniel. Although God did not spare him some discomfort, He was fully aware of his circumstances. God sent His angel to close the lions' mouths. In the midst of the den of suffering, the Lamb of God is with us. (Hebrews 13:5b & 6)
Being diagnosed with cancer provides a unique opportunity to comfort and encourage others. First it provides a permanent label for our identity which may open doors to sharing our experience with others. Just as Jonah's time in the whale's belly may have physically altered his appearance to draw attention to his experience, our diagnosis may signal others to hear the resulting message of God's love and power. Secondly we are reminded that King Darius approached the den with eagerness early the next morning to see if Daniel's God had sustained him through the night. People are encouraged to know that God can sustain us throughout our cancer experience. Our time in the lions' den of cancer is a great means of testimony to the Lamb of God's sufficiency. (II Corinthians 3:5)
After diagnosis treatment generally follows. Through submission to the prescribed course one hopes for cure and recovery. After doing everything possible to survive one can only trust. If we trust in ourselves, our doctors, or our treatment we may be disappointed. Trust in God will never disappoint. Daniel was quick to say that it was God who was responsible for his safety through the night. He recognized that the battle against the lions was too much for him. The lions have the power to kill the body, but the Lamb of God determines the outcome and brings us out into life. (Proverbs 21:31; Matthew 10:28-32; I John 5:11)
Daniel's experience supplies encouragement and example for those diagnosed with cancer. The lions' den of cancer has great potential for despair and destruction, but the power of the Lamb of God is demonstrated in the life of anyone in submission to His purpose and trusting in His love. (Psalm 23:6) (Vickie Garrison)
This next article shares practical ideas for surviving (and even having fun?!) during cancer:
"Cancer and Fun"
Cancer tends to steal the fun in life. It doesn't have to be that way!
Though disease adds doctor's appointments, painful treatments, and lengthy recoveries to your schedule, it doesn't have to subtract fun. Here are some simple suggestions:
* Do it daily.
Make it a point to devote part of every day to something fun. Treat yourself to an enjoyable activity, conversation, or snack. Schedule it into each day. To counteract all you experience in your disease and treatment, you need more fun than usual, not less!
* Find a fun friend!
Do you have a friend who seems to always know how to make you smile - and even laugh?
That's good company when you're dealing with cancer! Share some time and do something together with a fun friend.
* Bring it with you!
When treatments and trips to the hospital keep you on the move, bring a puzzle book, handheld game, or even a joke book along with you. It can keep your mind off some of the worries and pain. It can also bring some balance amidst the unpleasantries of your illness.
* Remember that it helps your health!
Your spirit affects your body. A happy heart can make a major difference to ailing health. The Bible describes this repeatedly. "A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones." (Proverbs 17:22) "A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken." (Proverbs 15:13) "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice." (Philippians 4:4)
ENJOY THIS INFORMATIVE AND INSPIRATIONAL ARTICLE BY PASTOR JOHN PIPER OF BETHLEHEM BAPTIST CHURCH, MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA. IT RANKS AS A FAVORITE AMONG OUR CHURCH.
HE ENTITLED IT "DON'T WASTE YOUR CANCER":
I write this on the eve of prostate surgery. I believe in God's power to heal—by miracle and by medicine. I believe it is right and good to pray for both kinds of healing. Cancer is not wasted when it is healed by God. He gets the glory and that is why cancer exists. So not to pray for healing may waste your cancer. But healing is not God's plan for everyone. And there are many other ways to waste your cancer. I am praying for myself and for you that we will not waste this pain.
1. You will waste your cancer if you do not believe it is designed for you by God.
It will not do to say that God only uses our cancer but does not design it. What God permits, he permits for a reason. And that reason is his design. If God foresees molecular developments becoming cancer, he can stop it or not. If he does not, he has a purpose. Since he is infinitely wise, it is right to call this purpose a design. Satan is real and causes many pleasures and pains. But he is not ultimate. So when he strikes Job with boils (Job 2:7), Job attributes it ultimately to God (2:10) and the inspired writer agrees: "They . . . comforted him for all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him" (Job 42:11). If you don't believe your cancer is designed for you by God, you will waste it.
2. You will waste your cancer if you believe it is a curse and not a gift.
"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us" (Galatians 3:13). "There is no enchantment against Jacob, no divination against Israel" (Numbers 23:23). "The Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly" (Psalm 84:11).
3. You will waste your cancer if you seek comfort from your odds rather than from God.
The design of God in your cancer is not to train you in the rationalistic, human calculation of odds. The world gets comfort from their odds. Not Christians. Some count their chariots (percentages of survival) and some count their horses (side effects of treatment), but we trust in the name of the Lord our God (Psalm 20:7). God's design is clear from 2 Corinthians 1:9, "We felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead." The aim of God in your cancer (among a thousand other good things) is to knock props out from under our hearts so that we rely utterly on him.
4. You will waste your cancer if you refuse to think about death.
We will all die, if Jesus postpones his return. Not to think about what it will be like to leave this life and meet God is folly. Ecclesiastes 7:2 says, "It is better to go to the house of mourning [a funeral] than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart." How can you lay it to heart if you won't think about it? Psalm 90:12 says, "Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom." Numbering your days means thinking about how few there are and that they will end. How will you get a heart of wisdom if you refuse to think about this? What a waste, if we do not think about death.
5. You will waste your cancer if you think that "beating" cancer means staying alive rather than cherishing Christ.
Satan's and God's designs in your cancer are not the same. Satan designs to destroy your love for Christ. God designs to deepen your love for Christ. Cancer does not win if you die. It wins if you fail to cherish Christ. God's design is to wean you off the breast of the world and feast you on the sufficiency of Christ. It is meant to help you say and feel, "I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." And to know that therefore, "To live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 3:8; 1:21).
6. You will waste your cancer if you spend too much time reading about cancer and not enough time reading about God.
It is not wrong to know about cancer. Ignorance is not a virtue. But the lure to know more and more and the lack of zeal to know God more and more is symptomatic of unbelief. Cancer is meant to waken us to the reality of God. It is meant to put feeling and force behind the command, "Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord" (Hosea 6:3). It is meant to waken us to the truth of Daniel 11:32, "The people who know their God shall stand firm and take action." It is meant to make unshakable, indestructible oak trees out of us: "His delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers" (Psalm 1:2). What a waste of cancer if we read day and night about cancer and not about God.
7. You will waste your cancer if you let it drive you into solitude instead of deepen your relationships with manifest affection.
When Epaphroditus brought the gifts to Paul sent by the Philippian church he became ill and almost died. Paul tells the Philippians, "He has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill" (Philippians 2:26-27). What an amazing response! It does not say they were distressed that he was ill, but that he was distressed because they heard he was ill. That is the kind of heart God is aiming to create with cancer: a deeply affectionate, caring heart for people. Don't waste your cancer by retreating into yourself.
8. You will waste your cancer if you grieve as those who have no hope.
Paul used this phrase in relation to those whose loved ones had died: "We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope" (1 Thessalonians 4:13). There is a grief at death. Even for the believer who dies, there is temporary loss—loss of body, and loss of loved ones here, and loss of earthly ministry. But the grief is different—it is permeated with hope. "We would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8). Don't waste your cancer grieving as those who don't have this hope.
9. You will waste your cancer if you treat sin as casually as before.
Are your besetting sins as attractive as they were before you had cancer? If so you are wasting your cancer. Cancer is designed to destroy the appetite for sin. Pride, greed, lust, hatred, unforgiveness, impatience, laziness, procrastination—all these are the adversaries that cancer is meant to attack. Don't just think of battling against cancer. Also think of battling with cancer. All these things are worse enemies than cancer. Don't waste the power of cancer to crush these foes. Let the presence of eternity make the sins of time look as futile as they really are. "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?" (Luke 9:25).
10. You will waste your cancer if you fail to use it as a means of witness to the truth and glory of Christ.
Christians are never anywhere by divine accident. There are reasons for why we wind up where we do. Consider what Jesus said about painful, unplanned circumstances: "They will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness" (Luke 21:12 -13). So it is with cancer. This will be an opportunity to bear witness. Christ is infinitely worthy. Here is a golden opportunity to show that he is worth more than life. Don't waste it.
Remember you are not left alone. You will have the help you need. "My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19)
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