This past week was another example of God’s leading and us following as we seek God and a greater surrender to Him and His will and not our own. For most of us, the prospect of going to the cancer hospital is not exactly the kind of ministry assignment we would desire. The Lord is showing me that this is one of the most strategic places we can minister to people in great need. This past Wednesday, as we went to our oncologist at Baylor, we continued to thank God for his leading us in our next steps. This truly is an incredible journey of faith of asking God and hearing Him answer in our time of need. God is so faithful if we will be faithful to earnestly seek Him. So often in our times of need, we seek the counsel of many men and not the leading of the Holy Spirit to direct us to the path we should take. Whether the decision is about family, financial, or physical needs, God’s word will be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our paths.

I am thankful for the doctors at Baylor, at M.D. Anderson, and at Cedars Sinai.  They are truly a gift from God as his instruments of help.  However, God alone is the healer. It is amazing the peace that comes when you don’t look to the counsel of this world to be your ultimate source of guidance in areas of your life. The Word says “call to me and I will tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” God longs to give us His peace and path if you will be still and listen to His voice. I am thankful for all of the doctors, but each time we meet with them, they give us multiple options.  It is for us to pray and hear the direction we are to go. What a peace there is when you know that the God who loves you and has allowed you to be in your situation of great need is the same God who will make a way through the valley of the shadow of death. It humbles me that your prayers are lifting us up to go through this with peace and the praise of God in our hearts. Because of Him, I don’t go to my doctor expecting my healing.  I go expecting my God to heal me however He chooses and am looking forward to how I can minister to my doctors and to those in the hospital. This week my doctor was laughing and very open to our time of prayer.  We are thankful for the relationship that we are building with this wonderful doctor.  He asked me when I wanted to come back for my next appointment.  I asked him if he normally asks the patient when they want to come back. He said he’s learned with me that I will do whatever I’m led to do by God.  We are thankful for God’s leading and his peace that passes understanding that we pray is a continued witness to our doctor. 

When we were leaving the hospital, we saw a lady named Sharon who was extremely upset and wouldn’t talk to her husband about what the doctors were saying. She was anxious and fearful and couldn’t go any further in her battle against cancer. The Lord was clear, go and pray for her. I went up to her and shared with her that I too had cancer but I would like to pray for her. She was overwhelmed with gratitude. All she said was yes, yes, yes, please pray. She was shaking and completely overcome so we went together to the throne of grace to cast our cares on Jesus. We prayed and she repeated these words near the end of our prayer; “Jesus save me! Jesus help me! Jesus heal me!” When we finished praying, she was at peace and ready to take her next steps in her fight against cancer. What peace we forfeit when we rely on the world to give us what only our Creator and Great I Am that I Am can provide. After we prayed, I knew this was why I went to the hospital. Nothing was changed with my condition; there was no new information, just the joy of praying for Sharon.

I was reminded of my new ministry by my beautiful daughter Grace. She is the youngest of our 4 children, and unknown to me, did a short video testimony for our youth ministry. I was humbled by her words and God’s goodness to continue to keep my heart open to the needs of others before my own. Please go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TobmuRkgmak to watch Grace’s video testimony. I am prayerful, more now than ever, that in whatever situation you are facing you will fervently seek God.  Remember, He loves you and has plans to bless you and to prosper you with a future and a hope.