Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? (Breast Cancer post #3)

Biopsies revealed that I did indeed have breast cancer, in each breast. The lump that prompted me to go in and see a doctor was the little sister, treatable by hormone therapy.  The big sister, undetected by mammogram, ultrasound and hands, is another character. This one needs serious chemo to treat it, is much larger and has started to metastasize, or spread. Sad to say, my breasts are no longer like two young roes that are twins.

The most frightening part of the entire trial so far was coming up next - testing to see if my cancer had spread to any of my organs, including my brain and my bones. But this is also where it gets the most exciting. Yes, you know it - my saviour and friend Jesus shows up! If you don't know Him, or know what it is like to know that He is right there by your side, I beg you to search for Him. God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him! (Hebrews 11:6) 

MRI's are funny things. First the operator tells me that if I move at all, it's okay, but we would need to stop the process and do it again another day. Then he asks if I wanted music and of course I did. In a pinch to choose quickly I chose Chris Rice Pandora radio. (Calming Christian music) While I'm thinking to myself that I'm thankful I'm not claustrophobic, the clicking begins.  It takes great concentration to try to hear the music. Just when you focus in on it, ever so slightly, a new and much louder click joins the first one. It actually made me chuckle. Then I remembered I couldn't move. Once settled in I was gobbled up by fear. I was there, after all, because cancer may have invaded my entire body. I started to breathe heavily, then again remembered I couldn't move.  This is where it gets good. Real good...

I knew that I knew that I knew that Jesus slipped right in there beside me. No one takes your breath away quite like Him. His very presence stills all fears and turns them into utter joy. His charity enveloped me. He didn't ask me to walk on the raging water with Him this time. Instead, in that moment, He calmed the storm. Just then the song "Your Grace Still Amazes Me" by Phillips, Craig and Dean came on. (And I could hear it!) To get a better understanding of why I started to hyperventilate, here are the lyrics...

My faithful Father, Enduring Friend
Your tender mercy is like a river with no end
it overwhelms me covers my sin
each time I come into Your presence I stand in wonder once again

Your grace still amazes me
Your love is still a mystery
each day I fall on my knees
'cause Your grace still amazes me
Your grace still amazes me

Oh patient Savior, You make me whole
You are the author and the healer of my soul
what can I give You Lord what can I say
I know there's no way to repay You only to offer You my praise

Your grace still amazes me
Your love is still a mystery
each day I fall on my knees
cause Your grace still amazes me
Your grace still amazes me

It's deeper, It's wider, It's stronger, It's higher
It's deeper, It's wider, It's stronger, It's higher
than anything my eyes can see

Your grace still amazes me
Your love is still a mystery
each day I fall on my kness
cause Your grace still amazes me
Your grace still amazes me

I deserve no such thing as this grace of God, yet he lavishes it on me when I need Him the most. There is no hiding place on this beautiful earth that He will not find me, and shower me with blessings untold. Not even an MRI. 

The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown, (Illustrated by Clement Hurd, and first published in 1942) was one of my favorite books to read to my children. It wasn't until many years later while reading Psalm 139, that I realized where Margaret got the story from - there is no new thing under the sun. And there is nowhere else I would rather be, than in the constant and continuous care of my heavenly Father. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me! 

"Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid 

thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too 

wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto 

it. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither 

shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into 

heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, 

behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the 

morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the 

sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy 

right hand shall hold me.                    Psalm 139: 5-10

O taste and see that the Lord is good! (Breast Cancer post #1)

"If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up."  Daniel 3:17&18

Oh, to have the faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! They knew God could deliver them, yet they could not be sure that He would. They acted in faith that whether or not they lived, they were doing what was right and just towards their God. 

"And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."   Daniel 3:23-25

Not only did God deliver them from Nebuchadnezzar's wrath, but He sent His Son Jesus to be right there by their side during the trial. Wow!!! (When I first read this passage I was also astonished at this being approximately 580 years before the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us! ("...he is before all things..." Colossians 1:17) The three Hebrews didn't even smell like smoke - that is one smokin' God!!!

My Trial

I would love to say that I trusted God and hopped into a fiery trial, instead I just found myself thrust into the thick of one. About three months ago, I found out I had stage 3 breast cancer. The conversation with my doctor went as such:

Me: "If I were to say 'I have cancer' would I be correct"? 
My Doctor: "Yes". 
Me: "If I were to use it in a sentence, could I use it this way, 'I have cancer' "? 
My Doctor: "Yes". 
Me: Should I tell my family I have cancer"? 
My Doctor: "Yes". 

(Jesus enters the room)

God Preparing Me for My Trial

I was afraid to go to sleep that night, knowing that I would wake up and think everything was fine and dandy for a few glorious seconds and then remember, correctly, that 'I have cancer'. After falling into a deep sleep, I did wake in the middle of the night feeling extremely peaceful. Then I remembered I had cancer, and my countenance did fall. Immediately I heard Jesus say to me "Every minute can be as peaceful as that one." Oh yea - Jesus was with me now! He has been with ever since I was six years old and trusted on Him, but now it is like I have special seating in the throne room; a special VIP pass. I believe these passes are handed out when you go through a trial, if you accept them - kind of like salvation. I accepted both!

My sister, Jan, found herself in the thick of a trial recently. Filled with the Holy Spirit (Because she accepted the pass!) she asked me if I have ever woke myself up singing to God. I was so very disappointed when I realized that I had not. When I am awake I almost always have a song of the hour towards Him. To my delight, the very first morning after finding out I had cancer that had spread to my lymph nodes, I did wake myself up singing to Him! The song was "Count Your Blessings (Name Them One By One)". Jesus picked one out for me! We only sang it a few times in church; not all that familiar with it, I set out to learn it on the guitar that day. It is my theme song through this trial, because it is not about the hardships, but the blessings. 

Later that day God gave me my theme verse: 

"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." Hebrews 13:5&6 

This indeed I needed to hear above everything else. Your 'conversation' in the Bible is not just what you say, but how you live. It would be so very easy for me to be jealous of others' normal lives...and not to be content with what I have. Bitterness could easily rear it's ugly head. I know that I need to look diligently toward Jesus! (Hebrews 12:15) The promise that comes next is awesome - not only will God never leave or forsake me, I will be able to proclaim without a doubt that He is my helper! And to wrap these verses up with a bow: "I will not fear what man shall do unto me." Man may have devised cancer and it's 'cures' may not be just that. But I need NOT fear man! Amen! 

Ready to Go! 

God has prepared me; I am armoured up and ready for the fight! Not only I, but many, many family and friends have got my back. I am on more prayer lists than I ever would have imagined. I will highlight these supporters, their prayers and Bible verses, gifts and cards that have so lovingly lighted my path, in posts to come. I want to use this forum to show off a bit - not myself, but Jesus! Once I get caught up on writing about the blessings that have already been bestowed upon me, I will keep you up on the new ones. My hope is that I make Jesus look even better to you than He did before. If you are not a believer in the one God sent, my hope is that your eyes are opened and your ears do hear of His goodness! 

O taste and see that the LORD is good:

blessed is the man that trusteth in him.     

                                                                        Psalm 34:8