Counter Culture: Pray For One Another — Thursday
Psalm 100:4
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. (NIV)
I didn’t know what the word “metastatic” meant, so I did what anyone would do—I asked Google. I don’t recommend this. It turns out that metastatic cancer is cancer that has spread to other areas of the body. I started to get nervous. And cancer that has spread to other areas is usually stage 4. I could feel the anxiety coming on. Stage 4 usually has a life expectancy of 1 to 5 years. At that point, I was in full-on panic mode. I started thinking that I have a limited number of years to spend with my wife. What was I going to do without her? Turns out, Google is not the best place to turn for medical advice.
When we arrived in Louisville, her oncologist scheduled scans to determine if the cancer had, in fact, spread to other areas of her body. We went into the CT scan room and did both a bone scan and a full body scan. The process took some time, and we left with the instructions to “go home and relax—we’ll call you as soon as we know something.” Relax? Really? We tried to stay calm, but to say we were nervous is an understatement. Finally, on a Wednesday, her oncologist called and said the bone scan was clear. We were relieved and grateful. Then she said it would take a few more days for the full body scan to get back. She warned us, “If it shows cancer anywhere else in the body, she’s stage 4 and the cancer is no longer curable, but treatable.” Here come the panic attacks again. I tried to stay calm for Amy because she was freaking out, but inside, I was a mess.
Friday morning of that week, the doctor called and said all scans were clear—no cancer anywhere except the breast and lymph nodes. I thanked the doctor and fell flat on my face and praised God. I cried, thanked Him, and cried some more. When God answers prayers in a miraculous way, our duty is to worship. For some, it’s not a natural instinct. But we are instructed to do it. That evening, we went to Chili’s and had dinner with the whole family. When we prayed, we stood up and thanked Him publicly, and at the end of the meal, we left a large tip for the waitress as a token of our gratitude to God.
*Update: Although Amy is still in active treatment, we are grateful to say there is currently no evidence of disease in her body.
Thursday’s Reflection
Always be ready to give God praise for the answered prayers in your life and in the lives of those you are praying for.