Bumps In The Road Ahead

Oh My!  Another bump in the road.  But we've crossed some in the past, haven't we?  Yes.  But not exactly like this one.

Frances and I went to my Oncologist last Monday the 6th and were surprised to hear him say that the latest CT Scan did not look good.  They saw multiple tumors/nodules in the area of my abdomen which look to be "not operable" - and - he was not recommending chemo-therapy as he did in January 2012.  It was a shock.  We go back again on Monday, the 13th, to discuss which direction we take from here.

Now we have an opportunity to TRUST in the Lord.  My brother Lowell reminded me this morning of words written in Hebrews, Chapter 11 - the well-known "faith" passage in our Christian Bible.  If I remember correctly after the writer had listed the great heroes of faith, like Noah, Abraham, Daniel, The Hebrew Children, and others who overcame major obstacles to faith and received great deliverances in their lives he then says that "others" had cruel punishment, were cast into dens and caves, suffered greatly and some were sawn in two.  Then he concludes the thought with:

Hebrews 11:36-39 (KJV) ³⁶ And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
³⁷ They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
³⁸ (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
³⁹ And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

This is the kind of trust that the three Hebrew children had when they were faced with the fiery furnace in the book of Daniel.  Listen to exactly what they said to the king.

Daniel 3:17-18 (KJV) ¹⁷ If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
¹⁸ But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
If you are not familiar with it, I recommend you go to Daniel 3 and read this story.  I like their attitude.  They said, "Our God is ABLE to deliver us."  They knew that God was still in charge.  Then they added the thought that if God chose NOT to deliver them from the furnace the He would certainly deliver them from the King's hands.

This is where I am with my faith today.  God IS ABLE to completely heal this attack.  But if He chooses not to deliver me and givc me a few more years, it's o.k.!  I'll be in His presence sooner.

I'm Aware that some may find this very strange.  However, the Bible says that "With his (Jesus') stripes we are healed."  That means I can pray with faith that Jesus will heal me.  However - we also know that we humans do not live forever in our present state.  The Bible also says, "It is appointed unto man once to die; and after death the judgment."  We must rightly divide the Scripture. We cannot take only the parts that please us.  We must accept the whole Bible.  I choose to put myself into God's hands and not worry over the future. 

Oh yes - I have  my moments - but I choose to believe we will make it through these road hazards and arrive safely at the end of our journey.