Hello everyone. I’m very glad there’s a group here that understands faith in the Lord. I’ve just had my second chemo for Breast Cancer and though I’ve been a Christian for many years I’ve been struggling with anxiety. I ended up in hospital with neutropenia last session which hasn’t helped and my daughter has also been having health issues which has exacerbated my worries. From the posts I’ve read some of you have been suffering a lot longer than I have but you have retained your trust in the Lord. I pray that you receive healing and every blessing from our Lord and Saviour.
Shalli.
Hi Shalli abd welcome across to our little supportive corner.
My incurable cancer journey is now into its 23rd year but you can see that story in my profile (Hit Thehighlander
As for my faith journey…. the text below is a copy of an email I sent to a person who wanted to understand how my faith has got me through these years, this person is not a Christian but is a seeker.
Always happy to chat more.
Over all my 40+ years as a believer I have had countless opportunities to see how God was right there for me and my family. Through financial hardships and ultimately when being diagnosed with an incurable cancer.
I know that even although I am in remission I am not cured. But at the same time I am in remission and this, as my Constant says - “Is remarkable, even miraculous Mike”
Did I feel let down, abandoned, hung out to dry by God during all these years?…….. actually no. I actually felt a reassurance that I/we would not walk this journey on our own.
As a Christian I have a future yet to be lived, but at the moment I am tasked to ‘live’ this life as best as I can.
It has not been that simple. Intensive Care Units suck, debilitating pain sucks, being told I could not see our second granddaughter when she was a newborn sucked, being told not to go out and meet people for a year sucked, being told to do this again for a second year sucked even more, having a fragile immune system sucks……..
These bodies we have to live in do make this ’living’ thing suck at times but I don’t let ‘living’ life suck the life out of me.
I remember one night (2am) in my little room in The Beatson in Glasgow. I was connected to two treatment pumps and in a lot of pain and I was having a little pity me party, feeling alone, God was not there. Then I saw two friends clearly standing at the end of my bed with hands raised praying.
I hit my call button and my nurse came in and I asked her if I was on anything that would make me hallucinate as I can see two friends in the room. She looked round, gave a shrug of her shoulders and said that I was on some strong drugs but you look and sound ok to me.
Before her shift finished I asked her what had happened during the night and she related exactly what had happened and I said.
I emailed the two friends. One had been awake at 2am and felt he needed to pray for me. The other was in America and had just got back to his hotel and was checking his FaceBook posts and had seen a post I had put up hours before so he payed for me…… that was 2am our time.
So God is always around during life’s straight forward times and life’s hard times.
My wife gave me a card with Psalm 27 on it and I would look at it every day during treatments.
Psalm 27: 1 The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. 3 Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident. 4 One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. 5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock. 6 Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD. 7 Hear my voice when I call, LORD; be merciful to me and answer me. 8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, LORD, I will seek. 9 Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Savior. 10Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me. 11 Teach me your way, LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors. 12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations. 13 I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.
The three main things that always stands out for me are:
Verse 1: “The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?”
This reminds me that with God, I have nothing to fear, even death.
and
Verse 5:
“For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock”
This reminds me that even when times get hard, God is always there for me.
and
Verses 13 and 14:
“I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD”
This reminds me that the land of the living is the here and now but also in the future, so I have nothing to fear.
My FaceBook posts during these years were always given the title - The Joy of the Journey.
Life is precious so we always need to focus on the joy that we can find around us, aim for the here and now. The future will take care of it’s self, one way or another.
Hi Shalli during these challenging times in life it’s important to keep a drip feed of truth into our lives, just like being on an IV in treatment and I must have been on IVs for well over 3000 hours over the years.
A good number of our fellowship started use the Lectio 365 app when the pandemic started. This is a great drip feed to start every day.
The 10mins daily focus in word and sound is a great source of encouragement and challenge. I posted this snap for one day in another thread, these simple words are a great foundation to move into every day
