(#24) Great News from Dr. Hanna!

Great news! I visited my Oncologist today (2/25/26) to review Monday's CT scans and to set ongoing chemo plan. Scans were clear, Praise God! Dr. Hanna's words were, "For you to be cancer free 5 years after diagnosis of esophageal cancer is almost unheard of." (It's nearly 6 years.) 

I do wonder, why God would heal me, when so many are not healed. " I certainly don't deserve such mercy and grace. That is a big mystery for me. I'm thankful to God, to our Elders for their prayers, and to my many friends who pray faith-fully for us.  

But there’s a bigger mystery.

Why would God want to reach down to us in the person of Jesus and rescue us with forgiveness, salvation and the potential for life transformation? And why would He choose to do it through the events of Jesus’ Crucifixion and bodily Resurrection? Some reject this gift from God because it is beyond comprehension. 

There are several multifaceted, but incomplete theological rationales for the cross. God simply loves us.  The Cross/Resurrection event is God's ,method to release us from domination by Satan and Satan's plan to destroy us.  Jesus got victory over Satan.  Christ also through the C/R even restores us spiritually to the vision God had in creating us.  Jesus, at the cross takes the punishment our sins deserve - instead of us - He voluntarily is our substitute.  The C/R event also reveals the seriousness of our sin. Our sin is that ugly - for God, if not for us. But because of Jesus obedience to the heavenly plan, the Father has given the highest honor to Jesus, which Jesus shares with those who follow Him. 

I am convinced that all of the rationales for the Cross and Resurrection are individually and together inadequate to describe all God planned and all Christ accomplished at the cross. The Lord loves and cares for us more than we could possibly comprehend. 

 

Still in preventative chemo till we're sure no mutants are in my bloodstream

Sometimes in the middle of the night, when I’m thinking about the cancer journey, my mind remembers an old gospel hymn we'd sing, especially at this Lenten time of year. It’s called “Why Should He love Me So?” It’s one of my ways of enjoying the mystery of this journey. But it’s really not about my cancer. It’s about the bigger mystery. 

Love sent my Savior to die in my stead; 
Why should He love me so? 
Meekly to Calvary's cross He was led; 
Why should He love me so? 
Nails pierced His hands and His feet for my sin; 
Why should He love me so? 
He suffered sore my salvation to win; 
Why should He love me so? 

Why should my Savior to Calvary go? 
Why should He love me so?                   - Crystal Lewis

If anything in this finds resonance in your heart and you've never personally and intentionally trusted Jesus for this gift, shoot me a FB message. I'd love to interact and pray with you.

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

(#7) Long Day Planned for Tomorrow (I plan to sleep through it)

Image
Tomorrow is surgery. I just called in to get my time to report. I need to be at St. Mary’s admissions at 5:30 AM, so this will be short. I had several pre-surgical appointments today and a consult with my surgeon.  We kind of chuckled about how much time we’ll spend together tomorrow. He told me it can be as long as an 8 hour surgery.   I do appreciate and need your prayers. My surgeon said he’s very glad for your prayers too.   The other night I was listening to a recording of 2 of my favorite comedians (Jim Gaffigan and Stephen Colbert) on a Late Show interview. Both of them are unashamedly religious guys and talk about it openly. I respect that. Yet  I heard a little twist in a joke about overusing the “prayerhands emoji”   that sounded like – if you need prayer and people are offering you prayer, you must somehow be inadequate and a bit “less-than.” I’ve got a different perspective. I honestly consider prayer essential and about the most important thin...
Read more

(#23) What I want to matter to me...

Image
Years ago, when I was young in ministry, I wrote a life-motto I wanted to be a guide for my existence. Here it is: “I have decided; what matters to God will matter to me. Nothing else really matters.” I even had it translated into Russian and printed twice. One plaque is on my study wall  and another on a wall of my brother  pastor in Ukraine.   There are so many things we give our life to that really don’t matter in the light of God’s desires for us. I wonder about some things, but I know the greatest portion of the things God says are important to me. They’re outlined rather fully in my Bible as I study the wonderful love, grace and character of God Who has revealed His heart. However long or short my life might be, I deeply desire it to be invested (time, talent and treasure) in things of eternal value – things that matter to God.  It's been a full year since I published anything in the Cancer Journey Blog. And it’s really because life has settled in to a rathe...
Read more