I was reading about concept of Providence about a month ago and one of the verses tied to it was from Hebrews. I thought I'd share it with you. I think this passage is a good reminder of the big picture. When struck with shocking news of a devastating disease it can be easy to want to cling to this short, temporary earthly life and worry about day-to-day concerns.This passage is a reminder to me that as a Christian I am just a pilgrim on this earth living a short life (whether I live to be 8 years old or 98 years old, life is very short compared to eternity).
Hebrews 12:1-14
Jesus, Founder and Perfecter of Our Faith
1Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and(A) sin which clings so closely, and(B) let us run(C) with endurance the race that is(D) set before us, 2looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith,(E) who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising(F) the shame, and(G) is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Do Not Grow Weary 3(H) Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or(I) fainthearted. 4In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? (J) "My son,(K) do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.6For(L) the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives."
7It is for discipline that you have to endure.(M) God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8If you are left without discipline,(N) in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to(O) the Father of spirits(P) and live? 10For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good,(Q) that we may share his holiness. 11(R) For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields(S) the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. 12Therefore(T) lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13and(U) make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint(V) but rather be healed. 14(W) Strive for peace with everyone, and for the(X) holiness(Y) without which no one will see the Lord.
I highlighted the last several verses because I really felt the Spirit pressing these words upon me. I thought about how discipline can be punishment (ex: I did something wrong so Dad gives me a spanking-this is a form of training/correction) or can be training (like when someone joins the army they first go through boot camp). Either way, discipline is meant to build someone up and improve them in some way. Discipline is not fun, but it is necessary in all different times and places of life. Discipline gets us ready for something; whether it be running a race, serving in the military, or raising a child to be an upstanding citizen. It is not fun, but it is necessary. Earthly discipline can be good and is well intended, but it is not perfect. God's discipline, Heavenly discipline, Sanctification, is good & perfect. He does it because he loves his children and is preparing them for his Service on Earth, and for Eternal Life with him in Heaven. Through discipline, Sanctification, trials, etc, God is doing something amazing in our lives; He is making us more like himself ! We are being made Holy, and slowly but surely being made more like Christ (One who suffered more than any adopted child of God will ever experience). Through prayer and greater dependence on our Father, we learn and grow in traits such as grace, patience, perseverance, and learning to have joy even in times of turmoil. I love the language in the ESV Bible; " 12Therefore(T) lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13and(U) make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint(V) but rather be healed." It is easy to get down ("drooping...") in times of difficulty, but we need to remember that it is through these times of trial, when we lean on God through prayer, scriptures, and Christian relational encouragement, that we are being made more and more like Christ himself; we are being made Holy and being prepared for a glorious eternity with our gracious Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. So instead of falling into the Devil's trap of self-pity, negativity, and general "droopiness" let us instead run this great race God has set before us, and lean on him for the strength and courage to get through each day.
We want and pray for healing from earthly disease (and this is right to do), but the real healing needed is from that "old man"(our sinful nature) that still lives with us while on earth; we are putting to death this "cancer" and being made a better man more in the likeness of God our Father. Let us think on this today and in times of difficulty and remember that earthly trials are only for a short time; yet they serve an eternal purpose.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Purpose of Blog
To God be the Glory! True comfort in life and in death can only come through a genuine saving Faith in the matchless work of Jesus Christ.
The goal of this blog is not for it to be all about me and my trial(s). My prayer is that the posts of this blog may be of service and encouragement to those who the Lord is putting through their own personal trials and crucibles. After the Background & Purpose posts I intend to only have posts that focus on a particular scripture that the Lord has used in my life during times of distress. I may post the occasional update on my changing health status for those who might be interested, but most of these posts I'm hoping could be almost devotional in content.
The Psalm of my life has been Psalm 46. This Psalm has meant a great deal to me personally ever since my first battle with cancer as an 8 year old. The purpose of this blog is to provide encouragement to those in trial by bringing together passages from all over scripture of comfort, strength, hope, patience, sanctification, trial, supplication. All of this to show how through the great gift of the Holy Scriptures we may be strengthened, reminded, renewed in knowing that "God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble."
Psalm 46
To the Chief Musician.
A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A Song for Alamoth.
1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah
4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn. 6 The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted. 7 The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who has made desolations in the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire. 10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! 11 The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
The goal of this blog is not for it to be all about me and my trial(s). My prayer is that the posts of this blog may be of service and encouragement to those who the Lord is putting through their own personal trials and crucibles. After the Background & Purpose posts I intend to only have posts that focus on a particular scripture that the Lord has used in my life during times of distress. I may post the occasional update on my changing health status for those who might be interested, but most of these posts I'm hoping could be almost devotional in content.
The Psalm of my life has been Psalm 46. This Psalm has meant a great deal to me personally ever since my first battle with cancer as an 8 year old. The purpose of this blog is to provide encouragement to those in trial by bringing together passages from all over scripture of comfort, strength, hope, patience, sanctification, trial, supplication. All of this to show how through the great gift of the Holy Scriptures we may be strengthened, reminded, renewed in knowing that "God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble."
Psalm 46
To the Chief Musician.
A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A Song for Alamoth.
1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah
4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn. 6 The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted. 7 The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who has made desolations in the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire. 10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! 11 The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Background: for Blog, about Me, and Cancer
Background:
I am a Christian. I am greatly blessed to be a 28 year old husband and father.
The Lord blessed my wife Jenny and I with the gift of a precious little boy(Benjamin Robert is our first) this past January 23, 2011. After some post-c-section complications for Jenny, we finally were able to bring both mom and son home less than 1 week after birth. Our lives quickly began to normalize with having Ben around, and on May 15 we had Benjamin baptized at our church; Providence Presbyterian Church(near Pittsburgh).
During the pregnancy and for the first few months of 2011 I dealt with a lot of back and rib cage pain. A couple of times the pain was so excruciating that my wife took me to the ER. Most of the time the pain was merely a very uncomfortable nuisance. Over the course of the year I saw several medical doctors, chiropracters, and massage therapists. I also had many scans to rule out anything worse than simple back pain as the diagnosis. The results to the scans were always the same; nothing abnormal could be detected. MDs gave me plenty of pain meds and muscle relaxers. 1 out of the 3 Chiropractors I visited helped with the pain a great deal, but it was beginning to seem like I had a chronic back problem I would have to deal with for the rest of my life. On April 28, 2011 I had my annual physical, I am providentially blessed to have a doctor that orders a chest x-ray for me during the annual exam(most docs don't do this). About 10 days after the visit I received, via postal mail, my typical post-exam summary write-up. While reading down the page I was quite pleased, in almost every category I was very healthy and in good shape, even better than last year. Fortunately I kept reading the entire letter because at the bottom of the letter there was a short paragraph mentioning that he saw a "shadow" on my chest x-ray and would like me to get a CT scan done to rule out any serious issues. The CT scan confirmed there was a mass near my spinal cord, exactly where much of my back/rib pain had been radiating from. After this I had an MRI for a better picture of the mass and to get some accurate measurements of size. At this point my doctor informed me that it was potentially a very serious situation but likely the tumor was benign. He ordered up a needle biopsy next. After what seemed like an eternity, on June 7 I was diagnosed with cancer (soft-tissue sarcoma). The really good news was that the tumor appeared to be encapsulated. The bad news was that the tumor was already pretty large, and they couldn't get a specific read on which variety of sarcoma I had. Additionally, we found out that it was not touching or a part of my spinal cord(great news), but it appeared to be pushing against and possibly wrapped around my aorta(bad, scary news). I was referred to University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Hillman Cancer Center.
By this point my family and I were already being prayed for and cared for by our church and family. Jenny and I were also praying that the Lord would work through this situation powerfully through us. That we could be a witness to others and an encouragement to fellow Christians during this time of deep personal distress & trial. That God would heal me physically, but also that we would be made sincerely able and willing to say "not my will, but thy will be done," no matter what.
At Hillman Cancer Center I received excellent care from day 1. Due to my history with cancer (I had cancer as an 8 & 9 year old boy), many treatment options were not available to me. Fortunately the best option for sarcoma treatment, especially if it's a singular encapsulated tumor, is surgical excision. I was setup with a team of excellent oncology surgeons. To make an already long story short, I had a pretty major thoracic surgery on Tuesday July 5. By God's mercy and guiding hand, the surgeons were able to perform a surgery that ended up going better than planned. They believe they were able to remove the entire tumor (with good margins) and were able to do it without having to resection my aorta (which would have involved having a bypass during surgery...). During surgery I had my family nearby and a group of friends from Providence (including both Pastors) sitting with each other in the waiting room and praying for me. I spent a week in the hospital, and that week was quite trying at times with pain and exhaustion. I came home 1 week after surgery on Tuesday July 12. I still have a chest tube in (until my collapsed lung heals) but it is wonderful to be home.
Right now we are waiting for pathology results from surgery. We are praying that this surgery took care of the cancer and that I will need no further treatment. Mostly we are praying prayers of thanksgiving and adoration to God for his Love, Faithfulness, and Mercy. We are also mindful that these perfect traits of our Father in Heaven are not tied to my physical health or to us getting the medical outcome(s) we want.
I am a Christian. I am greatly blessed to be a 28 year old husband and father.
The Lord blessed my wife Jenny and I with the gift of a precious little boy(Benjamin Robert is our first) this past January 23, 2011. After some post-c-section complications for Jenny, we finally were able to bring both mom and son home less than 1 week after birth. Our lives quickly began to normalize with having Ben around, and on May 15 we had Benjamin baptized at our church; Providence Presbyterian Church(near Pittsburgh).
During the pregnancy and for the first few months of 2011 I dealt with a lot of back and rib cage pain. A couple of times the pain was so excruciating that my wife took me to the ER. Most of the time the pain was merely a very uncomfortable nuisance. Over the course of the year I saw several medical doctors, chiropracters, and massage therapists. I also had many scans to rule out anything worse than simple back pain as the diagnosis. The results to the scans were always the same; nothing abnormal could be detected. MDs gave me plenty of pain meds and muscle relaxers. 1 out of the 3 Chiropractors I visited helped with the pain a great deal, but it was beginning to seem like I had a chronic back problem I would have to deal with for the rest of my life. On April 28, 2011 I had my annual physical, I am providentially blessed to have a doctor that orders a chest x-ray for me during the annual exam(most docs don't do this). About 10 days after the visit I received, via postal mail, my typical post-exam summary write-up. While reading down the page I was quite pleased, in almost every category I was very healthy and in good shape, even better than last year. Fortunately I kept reading the entire letter because at the bottom of the letter there was a short paragraph mentioning that he saw a "shadow" on my chest x-ray and would like me to get a CT scan done to rule out any serious issues. The CT scan confirmed there was a mass near my spinal cord, exactly where much of my back/rib pain had been radiating from. After this I had an MRI for a better picture of the mass and to get some accurate measurements of size. At this point my doctor informed me that it was potentially a very serious situation but likely the tumor was benign. He ordered up a needle biopsy next. After what seemed like an eternity, on June 7 I was diagnosed with cancer (soft-tissue sarcoma). The really good news was that the tumor appeared to be encapsulated. The bad news was that the tumor was already pretty large, and they couldn't get a specific read on which variety of sarcoma I had. Additionally, we found out that it was not touching or a part of my spinal cord(great news), but it appeared to be pushing against and possibly wrapped around my aorta(bad, scary news). I was referred to University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Hillman Cancer Center.
By this point my family and I were already being prayed for and cared for by our church and family. Jenny and I were also praying that the Lord would work through this situation powerfully through us. That we could be a witness to others and an encouragement to fellow Christians during this time of deep personal distress & trial. That God would heal me physically, but also that we would be made sincerely able and willing to say "not my will, but thy will be done," no matter what.
At Hillman Cancer Center I received excellent care from day 1. Due to my history with cancer (I had cancer as an 8 & 9 year old boy), many treatment options were not available to me. Fortunately the best option for sarcoma treatment, especially if it's a singular encapsulated tumor, is surgical excision. I was setup with a team of excellent oncology surgeons. To make an already long story short, I had a pretty major thoracic surgery on Tuesday July 5. By God's mercy and guiding hand, the surgeons were able to perform a surgery that ended up going better than planned. They believe they were able to remove the entire tumor (with good margins) and were able to do it without having to resection my aorta (which would have involved having a bypass during surgery...). During surgery I had my family nearby and a group of friends from Providence (including both Pastors) sitting with each other in the waiting room and praying for me. I spent a week in the hospital, and that week was quite trying at times with pain and exhaustion. I came home 1 week after surgery on Tuesday July 12. I still have a chest tube in (until my collapsed lung heals) but it is wonderful to be home.
Right now we are waiting for pathology results from surgery. We are praying that this surgery took care of the cancer and that I will need no further treatment. Mostly we are praying prayers of thanksgiving and adoration to God for his Love, Faithfulness, and Mercy. We are also mindful that these perfect traits of our Father in Heaven are not tied to my physical health or to us getting the medical outcome(s) we want.
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