Isaiah 41:13-14 “…for I myself will help you, declares the Lord…”
“You have cancer.” He said it as unemotional as one might say, “Have a nice day” when you’ve been handed a receipt after buying groceries. There was little time for me to comprehend what was happening before the doctor let out another little ditty, “Now, don’t you cry, I’m going to put a tube down your nose into your stomach!”
Don’t cry; don’t cry…what are you kidding me? You’ve just handed me a death sentence and you’re telling me not to cry! Was this really happening? Don’t I get a say in what you’re about to do? Hey wait a minute…what was that? Ohhhhhhhhhhh Noooooooooo….!!!!
He saved my life that young emergency room doctor. He had been in Iraq for two tours before coming to Bethlehem and taking up his residency here. He had seen enough combat duty to recognize a critical situation and to know that this was a matter of life and death. I had been vomiting for three and a half days; I was dehydrated and my electrolytes were way out of range. I was pale and weak with extremely low potassium levels. I was dying. Two days later I was on the operating room table as surgeons removed a tumor that was completely blocking my small intestines. But, they couldn’t get the “big” tumor; they said it was wrapped around the aorta and was three times the size of the smaller one. The surgeon said it would have been ‘catastrophic’ to try to remove it and I would have died on the table. “Tough luck, take care.” “Have a nice day.”
“There is no protocol for this type of tumor anywhere in the country,” the cancer specialist told me. “Nothing can be done; go home and get your affairs in order.” “No effective chemo for this type of cancer; no radiation. Nothing we can do but monitor the situation.…” just another day at the oncologist office. “Have a nice day.”
One of the things satan counts on is that we run scared when faced with insurmountable odds. One of the things I counted on was God. He was in the midst of all this and I knew that when I met that young emergency room doctor. Who gets a combat veteran in the ER except on TV?
Over the course of the next eleven months I went into spiritual battle …thirteen oncologists – fired! Surgeons relieved of duty! Doctors, hospitals, medicines eliminated! I’m telling you it was like Jericho; they just came tumbling down. Every corner I turned; every doctor I talked to; every research paper I read… wiped out! No cure, no treatment, no protocol, nothing, nowhere, no way! The battle was over…Have a nice day.
When a general surrenders in battle there’s a ceremony with much pomp and circumstance. You’ve seen it or at least heard about it. Officers come together and sign papers of surrender handing over their guns or swords or commands. Then each side retreats to their own camp to clean up and go home. Satan did just that… but God didn’t.
Ok, one more time around the insurance providers list…and there she was…a new doc in town from South Africa. Harvard and Yale educated, MD, Oncology, with a Ph capital D!!! A researcher; a foreigner, a brainiac…whoa momma could it be? I called, I went. Who gets a doctor from Harvard AND Yale?
She sent me to New York, to the Long Island Jewish Hospital to see a doctor, a doctor she went to Yale with, from overseas – chairman of surgery, chief of surgery. He took one look at my case and said, “I’ll try…” Who gets the chairman and chief of surgery?
“Wake up, wake up Irene,” they stood over me crying, my husband and my best friend, “They got it; they got it all…you’re cancer free.” Three months later I was back in a Bethlehem hospital with a breast tumor. A year later and there were three more tumors. Now I’m stable for two years. No new growths; tumors remain fixed and stable.
And so it goes, from one year to another, one scan to the next, one prayer at a time. He is directing my path and I’m writing to testify to someone reading this blog today. Life is difficult (John 16:33). God is in control (Psalm 54:4). Cast all your cares upon Him (1 Peter 5:6-8). And now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).
And my personal favorite…
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40: 28-31)
And to those doctors and nurses and surgeons and oncologists who need to know all of above ways of the Lord? Well, I pray for them – a lot! I hope you will too.
Have a nice day!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Patience and Obedience go Hand in Hand by Kim Checkeye
Do you ever wake up with a heavy heart? This morning I awoke and my heart is much burdened. Sometimes when this happens, I have no idea why I am so burdened. This morning I know why but what can I do about it? As we all know, I can pray and intercede to God but if you are a doer like me, I want to do something about it. Now, this is a lesson that God is working with me! He is trying to teach me patience and that there are times when I am to do nothing but trust in Him. At times, this is very difficult for me because I want to step in and fix things.
Well, this morning I got knocked upside the head! Don’t you just love it when God does that to you? I taught a Bible study at my old church for many years and we had a saying. First we would say “It was like God hit me with a 2 by 4.” It progressed to various things like “God dropped a wall on me to God dropped a house on me” until one of the ladies really had a precious moment with the Lord and she mightily exclaimed “Forget the 2 by 4, Forget the house, God dropped a whole development on me!” For me, this is one of those moments!
I am reading and studying about the leadership styles of King Saul and Samuel in the Old Testament. The Israelites were crying out that they wanted a King just like all the other nations. (As a teacher, I desperately want to stop here and go off on a tangent but that is for another day. What I will say is parallel Israel’s cry for a King to the United States crying out for a leadership who will mend things. Very interesting!)
God gave them their desire even though He knew the outcome. The people rejected God even after all that He had done for them. God gave them what they wanted but clearly told them what the new King was going to do and what he was going to be like. God warned them but they did not listen.
God appointed Saul as the King over the Israelites and when it came time to bring him before the congregation, Saul hid. Saul knew he was to be the King but he hid himself among the baggage. Why would he do that? Some commentaries say that Saul was running from his responsibilities or afraid of failing so he hid. I like to think of it this way: Saul was a humble man at that point in time so he did not feel worthy of being the King. But then I have to ask myself “If Saul was a humble man, then how in the world did he turn out the way he did?” The answer is very clear.
The Israelites had become an abomination to the Philistines because Jonathan (Saul’s son) attached the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba. The people became terrified and were trembling. The Prophet Samuel told Saul to wait seven days for him to return to do the sacrifice. When Saul saw that the Philistines were closing in and that the people were full of fear, he decided to take matters into his own hands. Samuel told him to wait seven days but because Samuel did not return when Saul “expected” him on that seventh day, Saul decided to fix it himself.
You know the rest of the story. Saul offered a burnt offering and a fellowship offering but the Lord rejected it. Saul was trying to do the right thing by offering a sacrifice to God before going into battle but he was going against God’s laws and against the specific instruction of Samuel.
Saul was under great pressure and during this time, his true character was revealed. He disobeyed God and this became the downfall in his life. This is where you can see that he began to change from that humble man hiding behind the baggage to a man full of himself and pride.
Saul had a goal that he wanted to accomplish. He wanted to win the battle. However, the methods he used to attempt to attain this goal were not true to God’s standard.
I think about how many leaders, Pastors, friends, family members, elders, deacons, presidents of ministries and list goes on who have taken matters into their own hands because somehow pride snuck in and it literally began to destroy them. I have seen many good, loving and humble people see a problem and they want to fix it but they end up so focused on the goal that they will do anything to attain it. Even if it means cutting corners or handling things in an ungodly manner.
What does this mean for you and me? Be careful! Watch your heart closely. Do not let any seed of pride come in. Constantly take every thought, idea and task captive to the Word of God. Make sure everything you do lines up with the God’s truth. When you see this stuff, remove it immediately, repent and ask for forgiveness. Ask God to help you not to allow these things in. We all struggle with this. The key is what you are going to do about it when you see it.
As you know, the goal of Truth for Women is to open Phase One of The Women’s Center on September 11th. Why? Because this is something God put in the heart of one woman 10 years ago and now He has called a group of women to accomplish this goal. We go after this goal because our hearts break for the women in the Lehigh Valley. We weep because there are so many women who are lost, hurting and live every day in hopelessness. We encounter woman after woman who tell us their stories and it takes us to our knees to want to help them and intercede on their behalf. We wake up in the middle of the night with a burden so strong that it hurts in our bodies.
BUT we must at all times obey and follow the Lord. We know that the enemy is a prowling lion looking for his way to get a foothold into this ministry so the God given dream can be stopped. We know that he attempts to stop the work by sending in distractions so we are not fully committed to the goal.
What can you do? Pray for us daily. Pray that we see all things with our spiritual eyes. Pray for discernment and wisdom beyond our years. Join us in this journey to attain the goal that God has set before us. Pray that at all times we wait on the Lord for His perfect timing. Link arms with us so we can become an unstoppable force.
Well, this morning I got knocked upside the head! Don’t you just love it when God does that to you? I taught a Bible study at my old church for many years and we had a saying. First we would say “It was like God hit me with a 2 by 4.” It progressed to various things like “God dropped a wall on me to God dropped a house on me” until one of the ladies really had a precious moment with the Lord and she mightily exclaimed “Forget the 2 by 4, Forget the house, God dropped a whole development on me!” For me, this is one of those moments!
I am reading and studying about the leadership styles of King Saul and Samuel in the Old Testament. The Israelites were crying out that they wanted a King just like all the other nations. (As a teacher, I desperately want to stop here and go off on a tangent but that is for another day. What I will say is parallel Israel’s cry for a King to the United States crying out for a leadership who will mend things. Very interesting!)
God gave them their desire even though He knew the outcome. The people rejected God even after all that He had done for them. God gave them what they wanted but clearly told them what the new King was going to do and what he was going to be like. God warned them but they did not listen.
God appointed Saul as the King over the Israelites and when it came time to bring him before the congregation, Saul hid. Saul knew he was to be the King but he hid himself among the baggage. Why would he do that? Some commentaries say that Saul was running from his responsibilities or afraid of failing so he hid. I like to think of it this way: Saul was a humble man at that point in time so he did not feel worthy of being the King. But then I have to ask myself “If Saul was a humble man, then how in the world did he turn out the way he did?” The answer is very clear.
The Israelites had become an abomination to the Philistines because Jonathan (Saul’s son) attached the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba. The people became terrified and were trembling. The Prophet Samuel told Saul to wait seven days for him to return to do the sacrifice. When Saul saw that the Philistines were closing in and that the people were full of fear, he decided to take matters into his own hands. Samuel told him to wait seven days but because Samuel did not return when Saul “expected” him on that seventh day, Saul decided to fix it himself.
You know the rest of the story. Saul offered a burnt offering and a fellowship offering but the Lord rejected it. Saul was trying to do the right thing by offering a sacrifice to God before going into battle but he was going against God’s laws and against the specific instruction of Samuel.
Saul was under great pressure and during this time, his true character was revealed. He disobeyed God and this became the downfall in his life. This is where you can see that he began to change from that humble man hiding behind the baggage to a man full of himself and pride.
Saul had a goal that he wanted to accomplish. He wanted to win the battle. However, the methods he used to attempt to attain this goal were not true to God’s standard.
I think about how many leaders, Pastors, friends, family members, elders, deacons, presidents of ministries and list goes on who have taken matters into their own hands because somehow pride snuck in and it literally began to destroy them. I have seen many good, loving and humble people see a problem and they want to fix it but they end up so focused on the goal that they will do anything to attain it. Even if it means cutting corners or handling things in an ungodly manner.
What does this mean for you and me? Be careful! Watch your heart closely. Do not let any seed of pride come in. Constantly take every thought, idea and task captive to the Word of God. Make sure everything you do lines up with the God’s truth. When you see this stuff, remove it immediately, repent and ask for forgiveness. Ask God to help you not to allow these things in. We all struggle with this. The key is what you are going to do about it when you see it.
As you know, the goal of Truth for Women is to open Phase One of The Women’s Center on September 11th. Why? Because this is something God put in the heart of one woman 10 years ago and now He has called a group of women to accomplish this goal. We go after this goal because our hearts break for the women in the Lehigh Valley. We weep because there are so many women who are lost, hurting and live every day in hopelessness. We encounter woman after woman who tell us their stories and it takes us to our knees to want to help them and intercede on their behalf. We wake up in the middle of the night with a burden so strong that it hurts in our bodies.
BUT we must at all times obey and follow the Lord. We know that the enemy is a prowling lion looking for his way to get a foothold into this ministry so the God given dream can be stopped. We know that he attempts to stop the work by sending in distractions so we are not fully committed to the goal.
What can you do? Pray for us daily. Pray that we see all things with our spiritual eyes. Pray for discernment and wisdom beyond our years. Join us in this journey to attain the goal that God has set before us. Pray that at all times we wait on the Lord for His perfect timing. Link arms with us so we can become an unstoppable force.
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