The Best is Yet to Come!

It was just one week ago that they had the miraculous news that no cancer was found in Dick's 'enlarged' lymph node and no cancer was evident in his body.  What a glorious week.  The prednisone (10 mg a day) gave Dick increased energy.  He was driving the car, helping Janet with her exercises, shopping, and doing up to 12 push-ups a day!  They rejoiced that they knew such an ever present, powerful, faithful God!

On further research, Janet discovered that a side effect of the Nizoral was decreased energy caused by suppression of the adrenal gland which produces cortisone which gives the body energy!  A..ha!

Janet realized she had learned a lot during the past two traumatic months.  She had experienced panic over Dick's condition and initial diagnosis.  She kept saying "I trust God!", but in the midst of the unknowns, the fears, the uncertainties... she was scared.  She was weak.  The emotional stress had taken a toll on her body still undergoing physical therapy post cancer.  She felt her physical progress had taken a downward spiral.  Why wasn't she stronger?  Where was her faith?

Her biggest worry was "Who will take care of me if Dick can't?"  Since she still demonstrated right-sided weakness, she knew she could not live independently alone.  She had always prided herself on being emotionally strong, able to surmount difficulties, unafraid of new challenges as well as keeping herself in excellent physical condition.  Of course the brain cancer had changed all that.  She still suffered emotionally from the shock of how drastically her physical condition had changed.  And she realized she never had fully accepted the changes.

One night she had a soft message from God.  "Janet, who has taken care of you for these three years? Who made sure Dick was at your bedside every day for four months while you were at the hospital in Syracuse, NY?  Who arranged for Glenn and his family to live twenty minutes from Syracuse University Hospital so Dick and visiting family members had a place to stay?  Who caused you to purchase the condo in Michigan that had handicap access features in the bathroom?  Who located you in Holland MI so that you would have excellent rehab therapy at MaryFreeBed in Grand Rapids?  Who made sure you would be within minutes of Carin and Diana during those twelve long months of week-long chemo treatments in Michigan?  Who gave you loving supportive prayer warriors in a new church?".......... "Can't you see I have always taken care of you?  And I will continue to take care of you.  Don't worry, I am with you always."

Wow!  Yes, all she ever had to do was lean on her Lord.  He had always been there and would continue to be at her side.

That Sunday she heard a sermon on Job and it confirmed all she had heard from her precious Lord.

Then the Lord answered Job.
"Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?  Tell me, if you understand.
 Who marked off its dimensions?  Surely you know!
 Who stretched a measuring line across it?
 On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone -
 while the morning stars sang together
 and all the angels shouted for joy?"                     Job 38: 4-7

Then Job replied to the Lord:
"I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.
 You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?'
 Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know."  
Job 42: 2-3

Looking back on the past three years, yes, she was amazed and realized God had protected her and cared for her.  The Lord did not cause her cancer, but he knew ahead of time what her needs would be. And in His wisdom and total plan He had provided for her.  She agreed with Job.  Surely her human mind could not possibly understand all God is and what He accomplishes but now she had concrete evidence that God is omnipotent!

During the summer and especially during the past two months she had begun to think a lot about Heaven. Since she and Dick had heard shocking 'death notices' about their health issues, she began to wonder what Heaven would be like. She had not really spent much time thinking about it before.  She just knew with certainty that she would be in the presence of Jesus.  So she read books... "90 Minutes in Heaven", "Heaven is for Real", and Randy Alcorn's book "Heaven".  The more she read the more excited she became.

As Randy Alcorn said in his book, if you were going on a trip to a new area of the world you had never visited before, you would spend hours researching about that destination.  Why don't we research more on our heavenly destination?

Why do we fear death?, she wondered.  Why is the word 'death' such a negative thought?  As a Christian, we should look to our life in Heaven as glorious, as a return to the Garden of Eden, where we will have continual joy and peace.  We will walk with the Lord, learn so much more about Him, praise Him and have wonderful fellowship with our loved ones.  No tears, no pain, no evil, no heartache!

"Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
 Revelation 21: 3-4

When you think about it,'The Best is Yet to Come'!  Death, or our life after death, will be more wonderful than anything we have ever experienced.  All the incredible beauties and joys of this earthly life...sunsets, rainbows, music, roses, autumn leaves, babies' giggles, children's laughter, hugs and kisses, summer relaxation, smells of fresh baked bread, taste of chocolate, twinkling stars, loving eyes...will be nothing in comparison to the ecstasy of Paradise!

"The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And let him who hears say, 'Come!' Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life."    Revelation 22: 17

She decided then that she would not have a 'funeral' or 'memorial service'.  No, she would have a 'Graduation' because she will have graduated from this school of life where she learned about God and Jesus, took the entrance exams, surrendered her heart to Jesus and would now enter into eternity!

MIRACLE!

The appointment was scheduled for 11:00 on Tuesday, September 10.  The biopsy on the lymph node and another CAT scan had been completed on Thursday, September 5.  The care worker drove them to the appointment since Dick was too weak to drive.  Janet sat there in the car, tense, stomach tight.  She struggled to act composed.  She had prayed off and on during the night.  Oh Dick, she thought, I want to be strong for you, whatever the outcome, whatever the news.  Oh God, she prayed, give me strength...I am so weak.

They waited for the oncologist.  And then he entered the room.

"There is no cancer in the lymph node," he stated.

Janet and Dick sat there speechless!  No cancer?  Janet couldn't believe what she was hearing.

The doctor continued.  "An enlarged lymph node can show lots of things going on in your body like a minor infection, so this is nothing to worry about.  The CAT scan at Holland Hospital showed no cancer anyplace in your body.  The testosterone level taken in Syracuse showed 500 but it now measures 10, which is fine.  The PSA is now 3.8, up from 3.7, which is nothing critical. The exhaustion probably was caused by the medication, Nizarole, which you were taking to control the PSA levels.  One side effect can be a decrease in energy.  So, I am prescribing prednisone for you which should increase your energy level.  I'll see you in 3 weeks and I'm sure you'll feel better by then."

What?  NO CANCER anyplace in the body?  But the news the middle of August had been so bad, so hopeless.  They had heard the words 'advanced prostate cancer', 'cancer in the enlarged lymph node', 'you probably have one year to eighteen months to live'.  What happened?  What changed things so drastically?  And remember...all those delays...couldn't understand why.

Was it possible God had indeed given them another MIRACLE?  Did He in all His wisdom and ultimate planning put in place a medical miracle that defied scientific reasoning to show His glory? Were those delays in scheduling and miscommunication between doctors and hospitals allowed in order to prove to family and friends His ultimate authority?

God had already blessed them with a miracle of Janet's survival from lymphoma cancer in the left thalamus which only had a 15% survival rate.  Did God choose them to be blessed with another medical miracle?

Janet thought back on the birth of Glenn, 51 years ago.  After a miscarriage and a full-term stillborn, for which no doctor could give any reason or cause, and wondering and worrying if they would ever have a baby, Glenn their 'miracle baby' was born.  And then they were further blessed with the birth of Beth, Carin and Diana, three healthy beautiful daughters.

Miracles had happened in their lives.  They were blessed.  They knew that God gives miracles to communicate to people His unwavering love and compassion.  They now knew again the euphoria of a MIRACLE!  They were laughing and crying with joy all the way home!  NO CANCER!  They kept repeating the precious, astonishing, incredible words.

At home, it was now lunchtime, Dick said, with enthusiasm, "I'm going to have bacon and eggs! And I'm fixing it myself!"  Proof that his depression had lifted with the unbelievable, ecstatic news!

What a glorious God, Savior and Spirit, who knows all, plans all, and loves all!  Blessed are those who believe in Him!

John 4: 43- 54 is a wonderful testimony of Jesus' healing ministry.  Verse 53 states, "Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, 'Your son will live.' So he and all his household believed."