Faith Before the Battle

                                                    

Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah

Psalm 62:8 

 

I may not remember the exact words of our conversation but the message was clear.

 

My twin sister is fighting, and from all indications winning, a battle with pancreatic cancer. She has completed a round of chemotherapy and is now undergoing radiation treatments. It will all be finished on June 22^nd.  \o/   

The doctors had explained that the chemo would be easier than the radiation and she is finding this to be true. She experienced almost no side effects with the chemo and is now having to deal with some nausea and fatigue from the radiation. They are radiating major organs, the pancreas, liver, and kidneys, at least. But… she is far from showing the kind of harsh side effects the medical community expects to see. 

She told me by phone this week, that she is doing so well that her radiation oncologist asked her what else she was doing. Maybe he was expecting to hear about dietary supplements or a new diet. She has not tried those things.  

Her answer? Praying.  

She explained that she prays every day, when she gets on the table for treatments she prays again, then she recites Bible verses that she has memorized, and then, still on the table receiving the radiation, she sings praises to God.  

Obviously, God has answered her prayers – plus those of many people who are also praying for her and with her. The verses she recites to herself remind her of God’s power and His abilities to do all that she has asked of him. The singing, offering praise, and thanksgiving to God in the midst of some unsettling (at best) circumstances is a statement of her trust that He will get her through this time and illness.  

What struck me when I got off the phone is that my sister did not wait until she was in the battle to get to know God. When she got the diagnosis, even though it was shocking, she already knew that God was bigger than any disease, that He was more capable than any physician to heal her. She sought out the best treatment, she went to one of the big name hospitals for her second opinion. But, her faith was in God – and still is. She was spiritually prepared for the battle before it arrived.  

There are many blessings that come from knowing, trusting, and following God. I think that my sister may be experiencing one of the greatest. It is peace in any circumstance. She does not need to panic at the diagnosis or the treatment because she has already placed her trust in the Lord. That means she is not counting just on modern medical protocols to heal her. She is not stressing over making the perfect decisions about the place and the kind of treatment. She is not losing sleep over what others have done. She is trusting God. It is a blessing to be close enough to see it.  

Her response to her diagnosis and treatment is encouraging me to get to know more and more of my God, His Son, and His Holy Spirit so that when the hard stuff comes my way I will be ready. My sister has been in Bible Studies, Sunday services, and reading books about the Lord and His word for the past several years. This illness gives her opportunity to practice her faith in a practical way.  

In some respects my sister is using this battle as an opportunity to take information and make it wisdom. She had a basic understanding of God’s faithfulness, of the promises He makes in His Word to deliver, protect, and provide for us all the time. She now knows His promises are true. She owns the promises and is grateful to have seen Him work. She is grateful for the power of the prayers that have been offered on her behalf, and she is growing in faith because of God’s peace that she knows more and more of each day. 

It’s important to know that she had this same faith when she had not seen the good results of the CT Scan after chemo.  She had already decided if this would be God’s method of taking her to heaven, then that is what would be best. From the day she got sick she has spoken of God, of His faithfulness, His wisdom, His trustworthiness. She is a witness of God’s peace in the worst circumstances.  

So, the message that was so clear to me is: get to know God now. Do not wait to call on Him and try to understand His ways once the crisis is in full swing. If we go into those times knowing Him and understanding His steadfast goodness, we will know His peace. Peace in difficult circumstances is one of His greatest gifts to His people.