“Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me!”
In one moment our whole world changed! The results from a “routine base-line” CAT scan found my husband, Dave, and me crying tears, hugging one another and crying out to God as we embraced, not knowing what the future held. The CAT scan showed a spot on one lung. After a bronchoscopy and lung biopsy, our worst fears were confirmed. The diagnosis was Stage 4 lung cancer.
Further testing showed the lung cancer to be inoperable. We prayed God’s promises as He gave us His peace every step of that precious time twelve months that Dave was given to live out his days here.
The months that followed were filled with visits to the oncologist, family physician, dentist, radiologist and other medical specialists. Dave was on oxygen 24/7. We had hope for God’s miracle of healing in his body. Our pastor and elders from church visited and shared Scripture and prayed with Dave and served Communion.
Pastor Kevin anointed Dave with oil, according to Scripture, and we believed that God had power to heal him and drive out the cancer. We also knew that God is sovereign and holds the power of life and death.
As we walked in God’s Word, we found His promises to be true!
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“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:4-7
The peace of Jesus that surpasses all understanding was God’s special gift to us as we walked through that dark valley of cancer. In one of Pastor Kevin’s visits, near the end of Dave’s life here on earth, Kevin told Dave that he had many friends at Memorial Park Church who loved him and were praying for him. Dave answered, “God is answering their prayers. Otherwise, I couldn’t have this much peace.”
Each morning we prayed together. When Dave prayed he always thanked God for getting us safely through the night and for His faithfulness, for the peace He was giving us in the midst of the serious situation, and for all His blessings especially our wonderful family. He prayed other words, but I was always touched when he thanked God for His peace in the ordeal of cancer. Two and a half years since Dave went to be with his Lord Jesus Christ, I am still resting in that same wonderful peace of the Lord.
At a time of extreme need, God demonstrated His power in the ER. Because of severe pain in his chest, Dave was taken by ambulance to the hospital. I called our church to ask for prayers. Linda, our daughter, was with us. Dave was lying in the ER in excruciating pain, but nothing was being done for him. I called out, asking someone to please help him! Everyone left, apparently to find a doctor.
At that moment, Linda took one of his hands and I held the other. Each of us laid our free hands on his head and we began to intercede in the Spirit. This was spontaneous no words were spoken ahead of the prayer. As we prayed together in the Spirit, we sensed that Dave was being relieved of the pain. Even as Jesus had calmed the stormy sea in the Gospels, He had calmed that severe pain, miraculously.
A few minutes later the ER doctor came into the room and said that he had been told that he needed to come to prescribe meds for pain. He asked, “What happened?” Dave answered, “These ladies prayed for me.” God had demonstrated His mighty power to heal. We also knew the sovereignty and love of God.
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God is faithful and powerful and loving toward all his children.
In so many ways, our loving God made his wonderful presence known to us as we walked through that dark valley. “The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.” Psalm 145:13
Norma Christie grew up in a small mining camp in Tennessee for her first twelve years and then moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where she met her husband of 54 years.
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