Let’s Get Personal, November 11
By Thomas Sherrod
My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you (Job 42:5 NIV).
How do you know? Have you ever been there? These questions probe for first-hand knowledge, searching for something to trust. My earlier devotionals were written from second-hand knowledge. I had facilitated a cancer support group for nineteen years and supported my wife through thyroid cancer. However, these did not qualify as first-hand knowledge.
Unfortunately, I was given a front row seat in the cancer arena only months after finishing my last planned devotional for this collection. I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. What a dramatic change in perspective! It felt like taking a polar plunge. Four months post-surgery, some of the numbness has worn off and I am able to reflect on how God provided for me before, during and after the diagnosis.
I had written these devotionals wondering if they had less credibility than some, as I was reflecting on an experience I knew only as an observer. Now, I needed the healing balm. A thick layer of my image of invincibility was peeled away. God had not abandoned me and was not punishing me. On the contrary, my trust in God took on new life. God was the only One who could fully understand my plight and shepherd me through the turbulent waters. God supplied a mentor to help locate skilled physicians and schedule appointments. He seemed to call at the right moment and appear at physicians’ offices, providing a much-needed stabilizing presence.
All my knowledge about cancer and my plans seemed to vanish. What did I know? I voraciously read every article I could find on prostate cancer and reviewed the pros and cons of each treatment option. Finally, and thankfully, I found solace and comfort in fully submitting to and trusting in God’s guidance.
“I wouldn’t wish this on anyone, but I have grown closer to God through it” was a common refrain I heard in our cancer support group. Now, I can nod my head in agreement. My faith in God’s love and faithfulness towards me has found firmer ground. The brevity and preciousness of this life has become more real. Unsuspectingly, Jesus has lit a fire in my soul during this unwelcome journey. I was given a single-mindedness for Christ that renewed my meaning and purpose. A new urgency for sharing and living out my faith has emerged. I can now identify with Job saying, “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you” (Job 42:5). Of course, I still have moments or days of spiritual struggle and sometimes darkness. But I have been given a deeper foundation upon which to stand. Thank you, Lord!
Pray: Lord, please keep me close to Your heart. Continue to kindle the fire You have lit within my heart. Give me the courage and opportunities to share You with others. Amen.
Your Turn:
1) Thank God for drawing you closer to Him.
2) Ask God to make your walk with Him a living witness, bringing others to Him.
Thomas W. Sherrod, Cancer Survivor
Tom is a retired hospital chaplain who works part time for Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Health System in North Carolina. He organized and facilitated a cancer support group for twenty years as part of his hospital ministry. He is married for forty-four years and enjoys his three daughters, two sons-in-law, and five grandchildren. He is a recent survivor of prostate cancer and is immensely thankful for all of God's grace and provisions through it all.
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