Five years ago today we were told words that no one dreams they would ever hear, words meant to kill and destroy, of death and fear, despair and hopelessness. We are rejoicing today because that same day five years ago Jesus spoke different words to my heart, words of hope and healing, words to give life and life abundantly! “By His stripes you have been healed” Isaiah 53;5, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;I have come that they may have life and life abundantly.” John 10:10. “I will never leave you nor forsake you” Hebrews 13:5.
These words are the words that we have chosen to cling to and repeat over and over when the doctors reports told us of a cancer uncurable, of a time left on this earth of 6 months to 2 years, of a life left of constant treatments, tests, pains and sufferings.
We had to choose then whose reports we would believe, and we chose the Lord’s. And we also humbly asked all of you to believe and pray and receive with us the healing miracle that only He can grant. We fell before His throne and cried out to Him and He has heard our prayers and for this we are forever grateful! It has not been an easy road, and when there were times that I took my eyes off of Him I would sink, but when I kept my eyes on Him I, like Peter, could walk on water. Had it not been for your prayers, your sacrifices of love and time and meals and laundry help and babysitting and rides to all of my treatments and cards of encouragement we would not be where we are today. We could never do this journey alone, but God told us that we do not have too. He tells us to carry each others burdens, to care for one another, to pray unceasingly, and all of these things were done for us. We had to walk in His light, to drown out the sometimes negative things that come along with any cancer treatments. During the 10 surgeries, 35 days of radiation, 160 weeks of chemotherapy, endless days of side effects and exhaustion we had to count it all as joy and give all the glory to Him because He was with us and was carrying us through this!
No one ever asks for pain and suffering, but sometimes it is through this pain that we are brought closer to Him, that we walk alongside Him and hear Him speaking to us. It is in this pain that our character is developed, that our hearts can be made new again and we can walk closer to Him. He desires to be right there with us, and sometimes when we are going through trials and pain we can feel His presence the most. I have never felt God work so closely in my life than when I was in the thickness of the battle, and I saw Him fighting my battles for me. When I could do no more He stepped in and took over. When the doctors were amazed that there was “no more evidence of disease even though this is a terminal condition”, when there was no cancer shown in the 12 lymph nodes removed even though there was cancer there when they did the biopsy before the 12 hour surgery, when there was no more cancer in the liver even though it was certainly there before, when the doctors agreed to do a surgery on a stage 4 cancer patient that they never do and would not do 2 years before, when I could still live and hold my babies and go out and love others when doctors said I could not, that was Jesus showing up in my weakness, “for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest of me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians, 12:9-11.
I will praise His name forever! I will sing of His goodness and mercy all the days of my life for I was sick and He healed me, I have been given life through Him and will forever give Him the glory! We do not deserve Him, but He died for sinners like you and like me so that we may be in heaven with Him one day. Let us be a light that shines for Him and gives Him all the glory and praise. I am so humbled and grateful for all of your love and prayers these past five years and we will continue to walk in His healing power and love. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for always praying and believing with us.
May God bless you always. Love April, Chris, Faith, Savannah Grace and Isabella Hope (:
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