My Journey With Cancer, Part 25 By David Maddox
, GLORY WEEK!
Last week is what I am calling “Glory” week as God showed forth His goodness and power and we want to be sure that He gets the glory He deserves for what He has done. There are three events which I believe are miracles that only God could do for which we want to give Him glory. First a little background – from the beginning of this journey it has been clear that only God could heal or enable because the cancer was stage four when found and the treatment was basically designed to make life as easy as possible, but with no real hope for healing. As I have indicated over the months we believe that God has called us to works which are far from accomplished and that as a result He will enable us to complete those works whatever it takes. That reality has been our anchor in these nine months of the journey so far (both in the good and bad times).
Last week was evaluation week for us. The cancer doctor was to review a recent CAT Scan and compare it with one done in April so we would know whether the treatment was being effective at all and whether the cancer had spread. For a cancer patient these times are usually times of great turmoil and fear as Satan throws all the negative possibilities in your face. The first miracle God gave us was absolute peace and clarity that He was in control no matter what the doctor said. My blood pressure usually goes up when I go to the cancer doctor. It was some 20-30 points below what it normally is on one of those visits.
The second miracle was what the comparison of the scans showed. At our first visit in January the cancer doctor had told us that I had a runaway train in my body and we must stop it and then kill it. Well the report showed that God has stopped it. The cancer has not spread (Praise the Lord) and although still active the tumor markers show that it is “stable” which they say is a “good thing”. There are continuing issues with blood chemistry and obviously the cancer at some point will explode and spread unless God continues to protect, but we have peace that He will do what the doctors cannot so that we will be freed to serve Him as He has called us to serve. Treatment wise we will continue with the same chemo regiment as before for the time being.
The third miracle is what we see as God’s release to go. The doctor has granted us additional freedom in scheduling chemo treatments which means that we can be available now for more of what He wants to do in Phoenix through reviveArizona and what He wants to do elsewhere through Time to Revive. As confirmation – tomorrow we leave for a visit to the part of our family that lives in Baltimore – but then for the first time this year – on Sunday we will travel to Tupelo, Mississippi to join with the Time to Revive team there and be a part of reviveTupelo. I cannot tell you how thankful and excited we are to finally have this release – and how expectant we are of what God will do there and as we travel. We are also constantly aware and thankful for your prayer that God has answered. We don’t know what challenges we will face going forward for medically nothing permanent has happened – but we know that God is good and we know as I will explain better below that we have been told to drop the cancer concerns and just go where I (the Lord) will send us – in Arizona and elsewhere. I hope some of you will join with us both here and elsewhere.
Spiritually the Lord has had me focused on the time He spent in the garden of Gethsemane before He went to the cross. The verses that really spoke to me were His prayer in Matthew 26:42 and His response to the Father’s answer in verse 46. Jesus prays, “My Father if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” Jesus response to the Father’s answer was, “Rise, let us be going; My betrayer is at hand.” For me the message was, “Leave the cancer in the garden. It is not your concern it is Mine. You just go as I enable you to go. If I don’t want you to go you will not be able to go, but your heart must be to go.” That has given me such peace. When fears or questions arise now all I do now is say out loud or in my heart – “I left that in the garden” and I go as I feel God directs me to go that particular day and time.
Two others passages flesh out what that means for me – and what it can mean for you regardless of your circumstances. The last verse in the book of Mark – Mark 16:20 – is the example of what it means to leave circumstances and just go in faith in reliance on the Lord. It reads, “And they went out and preached everywhere (as they had been sent), while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.” The key for me is that when they obeyed and went were sent to do what they had been sent to do – “the Lord worked with them”. How marvelous and encouraging and faith inspiring is that reality.
The other verse is on how to pray in light of the above. I know I have shared this before but it has become more real to me this past week. It is the Jerusalem church’s prayer when the persecution and threats came upon the Apostles seeking to keep them from going and doing as God had called them to. Their response in Acts 4:23-30 was first to acknowledge God’s sovereignty – then to ask him to “consider” their circumstances (not deliverance or protection – leaving God to do His will) – but to enable them to boldly do exactly what they were called to do (which they had been threatened by the authorities if they did) – and finally that God confirm the message and the messenger and that He was God by signs, wonders and miracles as He choice. So my prayer now is for God to consider the cancer and whatever other issues may arise (medically or otherwise) but to enable me to speak His Word with great boldness – to go and serve where sent or at home – and for Him to work with me and confirm the message and the messenger and that He is the one true God however He may choose. Life is easy if we walk in faith for our God sits on the throne and rules. As the Jerusalem church prayed – God is sovereign.
Thank you for your prayers and for sharing this journey with us.
About David Maddox – After a legal career in both Texas and Arizona that spanned over 40 years as a civil litigator, God called David to leave his law practice and work full time as Discipleship Director for Time to Revive. That call is really the fruit of decades of prayer for revival and teaching God’s Word, writing discipleship materials and seeking to make disciples. David married Janet Whitehead in 1976 and they minister together from their Phoenix home. God has blessed them with four children and thus far seven grandchildren.
