It’s rare to receive a death sentence. It’s even rarer to receive a death sentence and survive. With survival rates in the single digits, people considered my “Pancreatic Cancer” diagnosis last month as nothing less than a death sentence. And I did too.
I’ll never forget that night, driving to each of my kid’s homes to drop that death sentence on them. I knew that as the leader of the family I had to be strong. I had to show faith, hope, love, and courage.
But these Hold Me Jesus song lyrics from Rich Mullins express the real thoughts ricocheting off the walls of my heart that night:
Well, sometimes my life
Just don’t make sense at all
When the mountains look so big
And my faith just seems so small
So hold me Jesus, cause I’m shaking like a leaf
You have been King of my glory
Won’t You be my Prince of Peace
We often wonder in times like that if we’ll be left shaking like a leaf. Will God actually show up and be our Prince of Peace?
My “death sentence” has taught our family that He will.
He equipped us to peacefully accept His lead, regardless of what was to come. Miraculously, I also escaped with a cancer-free, fully-functioning pancreas.
In all this, I learned that God fulfills His promises.
He has promised us that we never again have to be a slave to fear (Rom 8:15). He promises that if we call upon Him in the day of trouble, He will deliver us (Psalms 50:15).
He only asks that we follow Him and give Him the honor and glory (Psalms 50).
To Him are all the praise, honor and glory…today and forever.
Our family hopes you have a wonderful “New Years” and 2012 is filled with an abundance of joy and peace.
