The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged (Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV).

I expect I am like most women; I thought breast cancer was something that happened to other people. So, when the lump was discovered at a routine February doctor’s appointment, my first reaction was shock. My second reaction was to start trying to figure out how to get through this unknown new world I had not expected to live in—the world of a cancer patient.

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you (Luke 11:9 NIV).

Every morning our cat, Wesley, stands just outside the door to our home. As soon as he hears me (or with his super sensor whiskers detects me tiptoeing past) he stands up on his hind legs. He stretches up as high as he can reach, until his paws practically touch the doorknob, and begins to feverishly scratch away at the door.

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you (John 15:7 ESV).

Have you ever felt like you couldn’t pray because you didn’t know what to say? Maybe a situation was so difficult that you felt too numb to pray. Maybe you didn’t know which direction God was moving you, and words escaped you. Perhaps you felt that God wasn’t really listening to your prayers.

Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know (Jeremiah 33:3 NIV).

I’ve never lived alone—which is fine with me, because I don’t like being alone. Now, my husband Kelly is the opposite. He’s a man who can really enjoy his solitude.

Early in our marriage, I’d find Kelly sitting in the office paying bills or something, and I would go in and sit. Just sit. No talking, no reading—just sitting. “Do you need something?” he’d ask. I’d just grin and say, “No.” After much repetition, I finally understood: at the ripe old age of 24, I had no idea how to be alone. Four decades later, I’ve gotten better, but I would still pick a room with a bunch of noisy, smelly teenagers than a room by myself any day. Strange, I know.

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! (Romans 11:33 NIV)

I’m a man. Generally speaking, men like to fix things. I have to be reminded frequently by my wife and daughters that they do not need their feelings or their dilemmas fixed. But I am their protector, and don’t like to see my loved ones hurting! It is agonizing to just listen and be compassionate. I struggle to trust that they will work through it and find their own way. Ugh! Amazingly enough, they do survive without my expert advice! Nobody wants a Mr. Know-It-All, anyway! I think I will give up that role—much to my family’s delight!

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, 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 4:6-7 NIV).

The days before an MRI, CT scan, or PET scan can cause you to stress out. Has the cancer progressed? Stabilized? Or—Please, God!—shrunk, or, even better, vanished? The anxiety, or “scanxiety” as some call it, can be off the charts.

Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed (John 20:8 NIV).

In the book of John chapter twenty, a miracle of epic portions happened. This event was not about seeing Jesus work a miracle. The miracle was about not seeing Jesus—not seeing Jesus in the tomb. The apostle John paints the scene of this true miracle, as he shares what he has witnessed with his own eyes. The tomb was empty! A miracle had occurred that couldn’t be explained. The body of Christ was gone. The linen cloths His body was wrapped in remained—but where was He?

Jesus performed many other signs [miracles] in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name (John 20:30-31 NIV).

At my granddaughter’s first birthday party, her favorite thing was the birthday cards. Not the presents, the gift wrap, or even the boxes—the cards. With birthday number two approaching, I hopefully asked, “Is she into unwrapping presents yet?” Why? Because I love a kid’s sweet feeling of abandon when they rip off bows and tear through wrapping paper with uncontrolled anticipation of the glorious treasure that surely must be inside.

I waited patiently for the Lord (Psalm 40:1a NIV).

Recently, after waiting thirty minutes beyond my appointment time for my first chemotherapy infusion, I checked back with the receptionist. She curtly explained that the wait would be “sixty to ninety minutes.” A moment later she returned with a flier titled, “Why am I waiting so long for my treatment?” I wasn’t the first to ask.

Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding (Jeremiah 3:15 NIV).

Strong, passionate, and longtime Christians often receive a cancer diagnosis and lean into their faith. Maybe this is you? After your diagnosis, you may have prayed more consistently and passionately. Verses may have come to mind and resonated with new meaning. Friends probably called to offer help and to say they were praying for you. Praise God for all the seeds of faith planted in you so you would have the blessings of prayer, scripture, and fellowship on your cancer walk.

He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth (Isaiah 53:7a NIV).

After the initial spinal tap and bone marrow extraction, my wife and I were insistent we would always be with Justin for those procedures. The staff had been insistent that patient and parents didn’t do well together during the trauma of the procedures. The child was awake for the procedure, even when they placed the needle into the bone. Keeping the child still was important and emotional parents would not help.

But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him (Luke 15:20 NIV).

Jesus told a parable of a prodigal son, a young man dying to be free and see the world. He demands that his father give him his inheritance now. It’s a huge insult, like saying, “Father, you are dead to me.” Yet the father acquiesces. The son takes his money and heads for a distant land and greener grass.

But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid” (Matthew 14:27 NIV).

Dear Sandy,

It’s hard to write through tears. Reading your honest email, so full of transparency, is helping me deal with my journey.

I, too, have received some not so good news. The spot that began in January has grown to be 2.0 cm. The danger zone. The type of surgery I need is called an ablation. A needle in my back. Freeze the tumor. The location of my tumor is such that traditional surgery can’t be done. First, because of the location, and second, I don’t have much kidney left. This means any type of surgery would destroy what I have left, putting me on dialysis.

For indeed, when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were troubled on every side. Outside were conflicts, inside were fears. Nevertheless God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus (2 Corinthians 7:5-6 NKJV).

Sometimes I believe I have more friends than I can keep up with. Other times, I feel alone and search for a friend to call. Paul is going through a spiritual and emotional drought, as he writes in his second letter to the church at Corinth. Outside are conflicts, and inside are fears. I have been there!

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you (Isaiah 26:3 NIV).

Lately, God has been teaching me about how little control I have over things. In fact, even as I type this, I’m sitting 35,000 feet in the air, in an airplane that will land later than it is scheduled to arrive. There is a good possibility that I will miss my connecting flight as a result. I have absolutely no control over this situation. All I can do is sit and pray I will make it in time.

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew‬ 19:14‬ NIV‬‬).

‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬Recently a young mom joined a cancer support group I belong to. Unlike the rest of us, she did not have cancer. Tragically, her eleven-year-old daughter did. Almost two years ago, she had been diagnosed with the same type of cancer as the rest of us.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: … a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance (Ecclesiastes 3:1,4 NIV).

They say laughter is the best medicine. It’s been proven to send those feel-good hormones, endorphins, rushing around our bodies, lowering our heart rate, and reducing stress. When we’re up to our eyeballs in appointments, treatments, and nausea, though, laughing can become a distant memory.

I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord” (Psalm 122:1 NIV).

The Israelite people were commanded by God to gather together if they could in His presence three times a year for holy meeting, feasting, and celebration. God’s Holy Temple was in Jerusalem, the highest city in their land. The plains and hillsides below were the so-called Holy or Promised Land, where most of the Hebrew people lived. Getting to Jerusalem was no easy journey or pilgrimage. Going it alone was dangerous. Going together with family and friends, however, was more doable and far more enjoyable.

And He said to them, “Come aside by yourself to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat (Mark 6:31 OSB).

When we are so busy that we don’t even have time to eat, it might be that we are just too busy. Our society rewards working long hours until exhaustion. Yet, our God felt it necessary to rest on the seventh day after creating the heavens and the earth (see Genesis 2:1-3).

So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great (Job 2:13 NKJV).

Have you ever stuck your foot in your mouth? Have you ever said the wrong thing at the wrong time? A friend confides in you that they have just been diagnosed with cancer, and you start talking and can’t stop. Someone shares their fear of dying, and you immediately offer false assurances and cheap solutions. We have all been there.