On October 17, 2015 I posted
a note that due to my wife’s illness I would not be
posting any articles for a
while and asked for your prayers. Your prayers have been heard and are deeply
appreciated. We both thank you from the bottom of our hearts and ask that you
continue to keep her in your prayers. They are still coveted.
August of last year my wife
and I were informed that she had cancer. We moved into Hope Lodge in September
and her treatments of chemotherapy and radiation began.
November was a trying month.
When the doctors discovered that her blood counts fell to zero, I had to get
her to the UK emergency room and she spent the next twelve days in the Markey
Cancer Center hospital. I moved us out of Hope Lodge this same month and we
were allowed to go home on the 16th.
Home Health started once
arriving home and ended in January of this year. During this time the doctors
told us that the radiation would continue working for about six months, so the
effects from radiation should be gone by the first of May.
From a CT scan in January we
found out that one tumor was gone and the other had diminished by one half.
When she receives her PET scan in April, we are praying that the remaining tumor
is even smaller or completely gone.
This is just a very quick
recap. I’ll just say that I’ve been with her constantly and she has endured
tremendous suffering. I heard someone say that sometimes they (doctors, medical
treatments, etc.) just about have to kill you to get you well. Not everyone
with cancer goes through the same experience though. For some it is easier, and
for some it is even harder. The one thought that stayed with us continuously
was how anyone could go through this without the Lord to lean on.
During most of this time we
stayed at Hope Lodge in Lexington, KY because the doctors wanted us close in
case of an emergency. In Debbie’s case the emergency came, as I have already mentioned,
when her blood counts dropped to zero. Anyway, we gained several new
friendships from others who were also receiving cancer treatments. Sadly, two
of those dear friends have since passed away.
Another thing that jumped out
at us while at Hope Lodge is that most were very receptive when talking to them
about Jesus. They were eager to listen. Friendships were formed quickly with
people from all walks of life. The common denominator was suffering and death,
which reminded me of the Church in Smyrna (Revelation 2:8-11). When looking
down through the pages of history and even in our day, the Gospel is more
desired when people are suffering and dying. They want to hear about Jesus,
because He offers Good News that overrides the pain. He offers real hope, for
this world and the next.
The Lord said He would cause
“all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are
called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).” We who know Him can say along
with Job, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine
own ways before him.” (Job 13:15)
So many times things happen
to us in our lives that we cannot understand. A few things we should understand
though, especially Christians, are that we are all going to die, unless the
Rapture occurs first. God did not bring ‘bad’ upon the world; we did through
the original sin. He came, died and rose again for any who will put their trust
in Him so we can have eternal life with Him. And lastly, He is always in
control.
Why do some go home (Heaven)
seemingly early, while others remain? I don’t know. I think of Phil, Doug,
Roger, Wade, John, Betty, and so many others who had so much more to give but
the Lord took them home. We have seen suffering on a grand scale, as many of
you have also, but the ones who belong to Jesus will be comforted.
One person said to Debbie,
“Why you?” She responded by saying, “Why not? I’m no better than anyone else.”
Sometimes people say, “Why?
Why you? Why would God allow this?” Maybe it is to help us grow in Him through
trust. Maybe it is to help us find real peace. Maybe it is to avoid greater
suffering that only God is aware that could be ours. Maybe it is to be a
witness of how we depend on Christ through a difficult time. Maybe it is so we
can know first-hand the sufferings of others. I don’t know.
Isn’t it amazing that we
often take credit for the good things in our life, but when something bad
happens, it’s God’s fault? Again, God didn’t create this mess, we did. However,
He has done everything in His power to provide us a way to get through it and
have real life with Him in Heaven.
I reiterate the real question
on Debbie’s mind and also mine is, “How do those who don’t know Jesus get
through the hard times in life without His presence? The thing that kept us
going, and still keeps us going because it isn’t over yet, is the presence of
God and His unbreakable Word that we can rely on.
When Debbie and I are
suffering from Satan’s blows, there’s nothing like the Word of God and prayer
for strength and comfort. Many, many of you know exactly what I am talking
about. You have suffered, and maybe you still are. Maybe you have lost a loved
one. But as a Christian we have somewhere to turn. We have hope, and our
greatest hope is in a life more real than we can comprehend while on this
earth. I always think of what the Apostle Paul said, “If in this life only we
have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” (1Corinthians 15:19)
Those without Christ are
“most to be pitied.” They have nothing. Nothing but a future more horrible than
anything this old world can throw at them. No one to lean on. No one to trust.
They only have what little they can hold on to in this present life; i.e.
nothing.
I am back to the point now
where I am starting to write articles again, and Debbie is looking forward to
being at that level of health where she can return to work cancer free. Again,
please keep us in your prayers.
I’ll close by answering the
question, “Has any good come from this for Debbie and me?” Despite all the
suffering we have witnessed and personally experienced, the answer is most
definitely “Yes!” It has brought us closer together as husband and wife, and
even more importantly, it has brought us closer in our relationship with the
Lord Jesus Christ.
Grant Phillips
Email: grantphillips@windstream.net
Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com
