My Journey With Cancer, Part 44 By David Maddox
Last week was our first “official” extra week resulting from the new four week chemo schedule. Medically again a non-event (Praise God). Our only medical involvement was a blood draw on Thursday as a prelude to starting chemo infusion today. Gary and Janet Bohn were going out of town for a vacation trip and they again graciously opened their home to us and so Janet and I got to spend Friday through Sunday in Sedona as a time of refreshment and inspiration seeking God and enjoying time together. Since I had my appetite and could taste food we enjoyed special meals out – even shared a desert a couple of times to celebrate.
God was with us in those days. In Sedona we went out with Laura Pratt on Saturday and the minute we parked our car it was obvious in answer to prayer who we were sent to share Jesus’ love with. Two workers were on what appeared to be a smoke break and an hour and a half of conversation later we had been able to listen – share life – pray – and share the Gospel with Jon and Isaiah. After we finished we walked with them to a nearby coffee shop and got them something to drink and continued our discussion about their lives going forward. They had to leave to sign out of work, but they came back to again thank us for our prayers and our time together. God was obviously at work and there was great joy.
Sunday we went to church at Christ Center Wesleyan where the Revive Arizona contingent goes out from and heard a marvelous life changing sermon. Pastor Frank Robinson told us to “write down February 28, 2016 for that was the date we committed to cross the river and enter the promise land.” Preaching from Joshua 3 he called on us to publicly commit to crossing the river and entering the promise land to take Sedona back from the forces of evil which now occupy and control it. Anyone who has read the remainder of the book of Joshua knows what crossing the river means – it means war as those in the land will not give up a square inch of their domain without a fight. So we commit to stand and fight in reliance on the Lord to provide the victory on a daily basis until that victory is complete. Joshua was commanded to lay down stones as a memorial to their decision and then he began to pray for wisdom on how to fight – he needed to know God’s agenda going forward to cleanse the land. As I prayed for that wisdom facing today’s land God revealed that what was needed was not what Israel needed – destruction of their enemies – but rather the complete opposite – we are to undertake a Crusade for Life to transform our enemies. What does that mean and how do we accomplish it?
Scripture tells us the people of God possess eternal life and have crossed over from death to life (John 5:24). It further reveals that real life is in Jesus Christ (John 14:6). So the answer to the what does it mean to give life question is Jesus – and the answer to the how to accomplish it question is to take Jesus to the world – literally evangelism and discipleship as a Crusade for Life. We are NOT commanded to kill, but rather to bring real life to the world making our enemies our brothers and sisters in Christ.
I have crossed over and I hope you will join with me. Keep your eyes open as we are going to schedule Great Commission Weekends for those who are ready to commit and want to be trained – and are willing to actually go out. We will begin in Arizona but my prayer is that it will grow throughout the country and beyond – anywhere God opens a door. But this is simply another impossible dream without more committed laborers to help with the training. Please pray that God raises up both those laborers and Believers who will commit to join in the Crusade for Life and want to be trained and go out. If that is you let me know by a message on Facebook or an email response.
One further medical note – We met today with the nurse in charge of our case before beginning chemo. Good results on the blood test. It was chemistry only we do not do tumor markers every month. My stomach size remained constant which means no fluid buildup issues – good news Praise God. We spent a lot of time discussing whether we switch to a “sister” drug to limit the numbness in my hands and feet which are a constant now though not particularly serious as long as I pay attention. In the discussion we learned why they used the other drug initially and that considering a shift could have other benefits while not losing effectiveness on the cancer. The different drug would not only reduce the numbness issue it is also less toxic on the kidneys and causes less nausea. It also has the benefit that it can all be given in a single day which frees another day although it will be during a time that I will be experiencing side effect from Day One. There is, however, the issue of side effects from the new drug which are always individual and we will not know until we go through a round.
We decided to get the tumor markers checked to see where we are on a four week schedule and our nurse suggested we add an amino acid daily to fight the numbness. We have set a meeting for March 28th with the chemo doctor before the next round of chemo to get his input on making a change. We will decide then based on that input and what the results of the tests and the addition of the amino acid reveal and God’s answers to our and your prayers. The March round of chemo will be whatever we decide at the meeting. Pray for us to have wisdom on what to do. The one thing we don’t want to do is to make a decision that ultimately reduces the effectiveness of the drug on killing the cancer. That is the obvious goal.
A political note that simply has to be said – Alexis de Tocqueville observed many years ago that “America is great because America is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.” Donald Trump tells us he will “Make America Great Again”, but the way he sees that happening is not good nor will it make America good – and thus it is doomed to failure literally by making America no longer good.
Trump says over and over that “America doesn’t win anymore.” His answer is that to be great we must win which as he defines win means someone else loses. That is anything but good if the emphasis is on defeating someone. America has always been a winner because America is better at whatever is in dispute – setting the example for the world to follow – that shining light on a hill to which Ronald Reagan referred. And America as it rose to victory was also good as it always reaching out a hand to help others also become winners – like Japan and Germany after World War II – enemies who became friends and allies. America has always been good because America seeks even as it wins to raise the lake level so that all boats rise while teaching others to be winners as well. The Trump proposed way to lead will hurt others and make even our friends resent us and assure that our enemies remain committed to destroy us. There is nothing good and nothing Christian in that approach. And what of the times we lose? Trump has demonstrated in the campaign an unwillingness to apologize even when wrong and he says he never has asked God for forgiveness because he hasn’t made mistakes. How could he make friends or help others along and still believe he won? How could he gracefully or kindly endure a loss if he can’t admit even to God he made a mistake or apologize when he knows he is wrong? What is clear is that He is the wrong choice to lead America. There are four better Republican alternatives still in the race. It is time to be bold in truth telling and by voting for another Republican choice in the primaries.
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.
