Living Illustrations of God’s Grace in Suffering – Nikki Healy

 

“Nikki agreed to document a year of treatment for stage 4 rectal cancer. The latest episode covers the final three months of that year…including a profound moment in that last conversation when Nikki declared, “I don’t have much to complain about.”

That, my friends, is God’s strength.

Many of you already know that on June 11, Steve Healy, Nikki’s husband, revealed that her treatment is no longer working and Nikki is now under hospice care. That makes this final episode hard to hear. But, it also makes the end even more profound as Nikki has the final word on the question we’ve been pondering all season long.

Is God’s grace truly sufficient for the hardest things of life…like stage 4 cancer?

Listen to Nikki Healy’s testimony on David Paul’s “Long Story Short” podcast.

Living Illustrations of God’s Grace in Suffering – Bobbie Wolgemuth

Throughout her two and a half year battle with cancer, she chose to accept that trial with trust and peace. Hear her story and how God used her life, illness, and death to bring many people to Christ. Cancer was Bobbie’s mission field to bring others to Christ and to glorify God.

Living Illustrations of God’s Grace in Suffering: Ken Sande, “Three Forms of Cancer … and It’s Still All About Relationship”

In May, 2014, I learned that I have stage IV thyroid cancer.

A month later, a gifted surgeon removed my thyroid and over forty lymph nodes. Radiation treatment involved swallowing a pill containing radioactive iodine and staying isolated in our basement until I stopped glowing.

All went well … until October of 2016, when I learned I had both prostate cancer and kidney cancer.

So I was back in the operating room in December and April, where another gifted surgeon removed all of the tumors with the help of a five-armed, remotely controlled robot. Since I once designed medical equipment, I wanted to stay awake to watch the procedure (using a local, of course!), but my surgeon just laughed and put me out.

Subsequent genetic testing has found no known link between these three cancers. My check-up last week gave me an “all clear” report, and I feel as healthy and energized as ever. I may never experience any of these cancers again … or they may all come back next year.

I would never have chosen this unusual “triple crown” on my own, but now that I’m three years into this journey, I wouldn’t change it if I could.  Why? Because cancer, like all suffering, is all about relationship … and relationship is more precious than good health.

Cancer has made me more God-aware

As I initially wrote three years ago, cancer has drawn me deeper into Scripture and motivated me to re-answer life-altering questions like these:

Do I believe that God lovingly and wisely controls the smallest details of my life, including the condition of the very cells of my body? Yes, I do. (Psalm 139:13-15; Matt. 10:29-31)

Do I trust that he will eventually work all things for his glory and my good, even if there are some difficult challenges along the way? Yes. (Rom. 8:28; John 11:4; 2Cor. 4:17).

Do I believe that God’s love for me stands firm and unshakeable, even though the world—and someday my body—will inevitably pass away? Yes. (Heb. 12:27-28)

Do I believe that the death and resurrection of Jesus has paid for and washed away all of my sins, and that whenever I leave this world and stand before God, he will look at me as his beloved child, blameless, holy and above reproach. Yes, praise be to God! (Col. 1:19-22; Col. 3:12).

Do I believe that I can candidly express my apprehensions to God without fear of disappointing him? Yes. (Ps. 28:1-2; 1Pet. 5:7)

Do I believe that he can heal me, either miraculously or through gifted physicians, and that he welcomes my prayers to that end, but that he may instead decide, in his perfect love and wisdom, to use illness to refine me and display his glory through me? Yes, more than ever before. (John 15:1-2; John 15:8; John 21:19; 2 Cor. 12:7-10)

Do I believe that to live is Christ and to die is gain, and that he has prepared a place for me in heaven. Yes, I do! (Phil. 1:19-23; John 14:1-3)  As I’ve meditated on these and hundreds of similar Scriptures, God has drawn me deeper into his arms, strengthened my confidence in his love and wisdom, and grounded my hope more firmly in him. These are blessings that far exceed the inconvenience of cancer.

Cancer has helped me to be more self-aware

It has exposed the fact that I’ve taken pride in my good health, as if it were something I had secured for myself, and that I’ve presumptuously assumed I would always enjoy it. This has compelled me to shift my reliance to God alone for my life, breath, and well-being (2Cor. 1:9).

It has sobered me and reminded me that my days are numbered … and not one of them should be wasted on worldly desires, petty ambitions, or anxious thoughts (Psalm 139:16; Matt. 6:27-33).

It has inspired me to wage greater war against the most corrupting cancer in my life—sin—and to seek God’s grace to fight more earnestly against pride, self-sufficiency, envy, self-pity, bitterness, unforgiveness, and every other attitude and habit that undermines my ability to know, love, and serve him (Heb. 12:1; 2Cor. 7:1; Eph. 4:22-24; James 4:8).

It has moved me to be more diligent in nurturing the body God has given me and to strengthen the immunity systems he’s give me by maintaining an even healthier diet, exercising more consistently, and making more time for rest (1Cor. 6:19).

It has challenged me to let go of my past failures and disappointments and to press on with a renewed commitment to love God and make his love known (Phil. 3:13-14).

It has motivated me to re-examine my priorities and shift my time and energy more fully to those things that will bless others and advance God’s kingdom (1Cor. 3:12-15; Matt. 25:14-30).

Cancer has made me more other-aware

It has moved me to treasure my dear wife, Corlette, more deeply, who made the appointment for my annual checkup in the first place and has gladly shifted even more of her life to serving and caring for me (1Thess. 1:2-3).

It has made me more aware of how precious my children are to me, especially as I’ve experienced their ongoing compassion, encouragement and support. It has also reminded me how little time I have to pass on to them a legacy of love for God, a sure confidence in the gospel, and a reverence for his Word (Deut. 6:6-7).

I have also found great joy in being the object of my oldest grandson’s compassion. At age three, just after my first surgery, he repeatedly kissed my hand to “fix me” and crawled into my bed to read books to me. That love and tenderness has only increased since then. What a joy to see a child growing in empathy at such a young age!

Cancer has made me more aware of and thankful for my friends, who have surrounded me with their prayers, encouraged me with their notes of encouragement, and stepped in to cover teaching commitments and household chores I could not handle (2Cor. 1:11).

It has made me more aware of the suffering of others and more sensitive to opportunities to comfort those who are sick, lonely, or discouraged (2Cor. 1:3-4).

It has given me many opportunities to use the SERVE principle to personally engage people who serve in the medical community, especially my two wonderfully gifted surgeons, to thank them for their gracious and sacrificial care, and to encourage them as they continue to use their God-given skills to bring healing and comfort to so many people.

It has given me a greater sense of urgency to share the gospel with those who do not yet know Christ, so that when the cancer of death overwhelms them, they can experience the ultimate victory—forgiveness of sin and everlasting life with God (1Cor. 15:51-57).

As I said earlier …

I would not have chosen this road on my own, but now that my feet are on it, I am overwhelmed by the way God is using it to deepen and enrich all of my relationships.

To paraphrase Samuel Johnson, “The prospect of dying focuses the mind wonderfully.” And when Jesus himself is at the center of that focus, we can truly say, “It is well with my soul!”

– Ken Sande

Reflection Questions

Are you healthy today? If so, how can your good health distract you from living fully for God? How could you live out the concepts above even when your body is strong?
Are you struggling with illness or other suffering? If so, which of the Scriptures listed above are most relevant and encouraging to you? How can you live them out today?
Do you want to turn cancer or another serious illness into a time of growth and blessing? This insightful article by John Piper and David Powlison can help you make sure you Don’t Waste Your Cancer. Wayne Grudem has written and equally compelling testimony about his journey with Parkinson’s Disease.

Permission to distribute: Please feel free to download, print, or electronically share this message in its entirety for non-commercial purposes with as many people as you like.

© 2017 Ken Sande

Finding Courage In The Shadow of Cancer

Facing cancer felt a lot like being on that tightrope. I knew God was behind me (and before me), but the intensity of the fear made it difficult to trust him.

 

This is an excellent article written by Leslie Schmucker. It can be read in its entirety at DesiringGod.org

Living Illustrations of God’s Grace in Suffering – The Bible Answer Man, Hank Hanegraaff

Living Illustrations of God’s Grace In Suffering – Scott Hamilton

http://people.com/sports/scott-hamilton-facing-third-brain-tumor-diagnosis/

Living Illustrations of God’s Grace in Suffering – Steve Saint

In 2012 Steve Saint had a serious accident which left him an “incomplete quadriplegic”.   He never asks God, “Why?”

Jun 11, 2014 – It has been two years since Steve Saint suffered a severe spinal chord injury that has made him an “incomplete quadriplegic.” What does life look like in the wake of this type of injury? What does faith look like? Can we really say that God doesn’t waste any hurts? Steve speaks to all aspects of this “next chapter” in his journey in a way that invites you to think of how God is using your own hurts to reach the world for Christ.

Living Illustrations of God’s Grace In Suffering – Anne Graham Lotz

Update:  Anne Graham Lotz was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2018.

“The Christian life is so much more than just being saved from hell and is so much more than just going to heaven—praise God for both of those things,” she said. “It’s more than just a checklist of do’s and don’ts. It’s a relationship that’s vibrant and alive and it’s sufficient to carry you through the hardest things.”

 

To read more:  https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2019/october/anne-graham-lotz-completes-cancer-treatment-holy-spirit.html

Anne Graham Lotz’s husband of 49 years died suddenly this past August. Anne explains how Jesus is her “Foundation For Life That Withstands Storms”. READ MORE.

I have received an outpouring of cards, letters, phone calls, emails, flowers, food, and thoughtful gifts. I have been saturated in prayer and words of blessing. Friends and family have surrounded and upheld me. While I am deeply humbled and will forever be grateful, I know that underneath it all, what is carrying me through is my foundation of faith in God.

The storm of my husband’s unexpected death has not shattered my life. While the grief is deep, the loneliness is real, the emotions ebb and flow like the waves of the sea, I have not collapsed. Like the yellow house, I have remained standing not only for my own well-being, but also for the well-being of others. For one reason. I know God. I have developed a relationship with Him that is built on the foundation of faith in His Word. I know He was, He is, and He will be in absolute control, working everything out for my good and for His eternal purpose. He said so. (Romans 8:28) I believe. I know that He is the resurrection and the life. That whoever believes in Him, though he dies, yet he shall live. He said so. (John 11:26) I believe.

Living Illustrations Of God’s Grace In Suffering – Clayton McDonald

Or watch the video on Clayton’s Story.

Living Illustrations Of God’s Grace In Suffering – Maggie Karner

An open letter to Brittany Maynard from Maggie Karner, who also has glioblastoma multiforme brain cancer. Brittney Maynard died November 2, 2014 after taking a lethal dose of barbiturates prescribed to her by an Oregon doctor.

The following is an article Maggie wrote and published HERE titled, “Brain Cancer Will Likely Kill Me, But There’s No Way I’ll Kill Myself”

I’m not surprised that an Oct. 6, 2014 article by Nicole Weisensee Egan—titled “Terminally Ill 29-Year Old Woman: Why I’m Choosing to Die on My Own Terms” featuring a well-produced video found on People.com—has gone viral.

The video, which features interviews of Brittany Maynard and her family members, is very emotional. Maynard, who was diagnosed this past spring, suffers from a stage-four gliobastoma multiforme brain tumor. She has a very aggressive form of brain cancer, and it is difficult to control its growth. In her video story, she describes how she was diagnosed and relates her understanding that the glioblastoma will eventually kill her. She then relates her fear that this scenario will be “out of her control.”

As I watched the video, I wanted to hug Brittany and shed tears right along with her because I, too, know those fears. I was also diagnosed this past spring with a stage-four glioblastoma multiforme brain tumor.

I can identify with Maynard and her spunky, adventurous spirit. She describes her love of travel. In my profession with The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod’s mercy outreach, I’ve led medical mission teams and worked on relief projects in 11 countries, loving every minute of it. I have seen the poorest of the poor and the sickest of the sick. I have seen suffering that would make anyone’s stomach turn.
The Hardest Part Is Not Knowing When

Now I face my own prognosis of future suffering. Some days are joyful. Some days the diagnosis feels like a huge weight in my backpack.

The hardest part of a terminal diagnosis is not knowing the timeline. I speak candidly with my physicians and pray that they can keep my tumor under control with the latest therapies to extend my life, one more year, month, day. Someday, I hope my tumor qualifies to be studied in one of the many clinical trials for brain cancer. I’d like to think my situation was part of a cure for someone else.

My doctors have applauded my decision to step down from my physically and emotionally demanding job to spend precious time with my family. I have a husband and three daughters who I hope will always remember me as a strong, thoughtful (but bull-headed) woman, carrying Christ’s mercy and compassion for others in my soul with rich joy and meaning.
Suicide Is Not the Answer to Brain Cancer

And here is where my comparison with Brittany Maynard ends. Maynard chose to move her family to Oregon earlier this year to have legal access to physician-assisted suicide and to receive a prescription for drugs that she has stated she will use to take her life two days following her husband’s birthday, on Nov. 1, 2014. It’s interesting that Maynard steadfastly refuses to refer to her decision as an act of suicide, even though she will, quite literally, take her own life.

Many people who choose assisted-suicide have expressed that they are uncomfortable with the term. Assisted suicide, which means helping someone take his or her own life, has been redefined into the more euphemistic “aid in dying” or sometimes “death with dignity” campaign which has been spearheaded by the well-funded special-interest group Compassion and Choices (previously known as The Hemlock Society).

However well-intentioned, this is one area where the old adage that “Hard cases make bad law” comes into play. To make good policy decisions about assisted suicide for our society, we need to follow the rabbit trail all the way down the hole to see where it leads. Marilyn Golden, a senior policy analyst for the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, warned that “assisted suicide is not progressive, in fact, it puts many vulnerable people at risk, and we have already seen examples of that where it is legal.” Folks concerned about the rights of people with disabilities are worried about this.
Dignity Lies in Love

But there isn’t any dignity in cancer or other debilitating illness. In my own treatment, I’ve been poked, prodded, radiated, chemotherapied, and cut open so many times that I stopped worrying about being dignified quite some time ago. Instead, I prefer to get my dignity by appreciating the dear people who care for me with their individual expressions of love and prayers on my behalf.

Maynard can choose to call her act anything she wants to enable her to feel better about her decision, but that doesn’t change the facts about how she has chosen to die. Dr. Eric Chevlen, a diplomat of the American Boards of Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology, Hematology, and Pain Medicine and director of Palliative Care at St. Elizabeth Health Center in Youngstown, Ohio, once quipped, “Just as rape is not about sex, euthanasia is not about comforting the dying. It is about power. What is intolerable to the (assisted suicide advocate) is not suffering or dying, but not having control over life and death.”

A recent opinion piece in The Atlantic by Ezekiel Emanuel (President Obama’s adviser on The Affordable Care Act) entitled “Why I Hope to Die at 75,” forged ahead in the assisted suicide debate by equating the value of human life with that human’s ability to be productive.
Death Is Always Out of Our Hands

When I was a young mother, my father had a traumatic accident that severed his spinal cord and left him paralyzed from the neck down. The last five months of my father’s life, which he lived as a paraplegic, were filled with utter helplessness. He wasn’t productive in any meaningful way. He couldn’t even shave his own face. Would Emanuel or Maynard find my dad’s life useless? I didn’t. My siblings and I soaked up our father’s presence, realizing that caring for the needy person we loved so dearly showed each of us some unexpected things about ourselves. As writer Cheryl Magness says, caregivers get a chance to grow in compassion, responsibility, and selflessness as they care for those in need.

This will serve me now as I face my own debilitating mortality. Death sucks. And while this leads many to attempt to calm their fears by grasping for personal control over the situation, as a Christian with a Savior who loves me dearly and who has redeemed me from a dying world, I have a higher calling. God wants me to be comfortable in my dependence on Him and others, to live with Him in peace and comfort no matter what comes my way. As for my cancer journey, circumstances out of my control are not the worst thing that can happen to me. The worst thing would be losing faith, refusing to trust in God’s purpose in my life and trying to grab that control myself.

I watched Maynard’s six-minute video. I cried, and my heart broke for her and her family. I pray she changes her mind and decides to allow others to care for her in her illness. I felt blessed that my tumor came later in my life (I’m 51), and I have had the gift of raising three lovely daughters. I want my girls to learn servanthood and selflessness as they care for me. And I also want them to know that, for Christians, our death is not the end. Because our Savior, Jesus Christ, selflessly endured an ugly death on the cross and was laid in a borrowed tomb (no “death with dignity” there), He truly understands our sorrows and feelings of helplessness. I want my kids to know that Christ’s resurrection from that borrowed grave confirms that death could not hold Him, and it cannot hold me either—a baptized child of God!