A dear friend of mine has cancer. She's been battling it for a couple years now. Last year, she thought she'd won only to find out that a new tumor had attached itself to a different organ & had recently grown from golf-ball size into the size compared to a 35-week gestation baby in a matter of 3 months! Getting it removed is too complicated right now due to her loss of weight & physical strength. But the doctors were able to drain the mass to make some room for her digestive system to work more efficiently. Thankfully, this procedure has allowed her to consume more & the pain is under control. Her battle now is to gain weight & physical strength; to nourish her body so it can fight off the cancer. She refuses to kill herself with chemo or radiation, but instead, is using alternative medicines & herbs to kill the cancer. That, in itself is a story to be told! Maybe for another post...
Her spiritual strength is what I marvel at! Amazingly, she was able to attend church this last Sunday...something she hasn't been able to do for about 5 weeks. God has grown her into an example of strength that only HE can accomplish! Seeing her go through this trial of cancer has been difficult, to say the least, for everyone who loves her because of all the unknowns surrounding her situation. But she is a constant reminder of how God works ALL things for the good of those who love Him & are called according to His purpose.
Through the years she has been a godly example & encouragement to me in SO many areas of life. Eleven years ago, God used her tremendously to teach me how to feed my family natural, whole, organic foods after discovering a strange rash that developed on my baby's skin. Her wisdom & guidance gently lead me through a journey that made me discover things that were actually harmful to my family! She directed me to websites, books, articles & people that gave me answers to the health questions I had that were plaguing my mind concerning my children. Doing the research really paid off because shortly thereafter, I began to notice my entire family's health drastically change for the better, including my own! All because God granted me a dear friend who took the time to share her knowledge & wisdom gained by doing her homework instead of blindly trusting everything doctors told her.
You might be thinking..."Yeah, so what good has all her research, wisdom & knowledge in health issues done for her if she has cancer?" I tell you...even this trial that she is undergoing is providentially teaching her & her family a WEALTH of information that the general public has NO idea of on the subject of cancer & its treatment!!! Not to mention (and MOST importantly!!!) the lessons in spiritual perseverance, TRUST & awareness in God's sovereignty in all things!
Does she have a blog? I would LOVE to learn from her. I have had parasites, a brain tumor, and my neck fused and was very sick for over 20 years raising 4 children but God taught me so much through those difficult years. He is so faithful!
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