"That's good...maybe they could pray for everyone in the room so that everyone would get it on the first try."
Hmmm....
She wasn't being smarty. She sincerely was asking for help for all the others in the room who, maybe, didn't have a team of prayer warriors praying for them.
Great idea! Why not pray for everyone to have easy IV's? I have been selfishly praying for my own arm to not get poked multiple times. Why not pray for the whole room of patients (that's about 12 people)? Ask the Lord for all of them to have an easy time getting their IV's started. And while we are at it...why not pray for the whole room for the whole day? And while we are praying, why not pray for more than that. For cancer to just .... be gone! For everyone to be healed. Everyone. That's what I want. No more cancer.
The thing about cancer is that it seems so overwhelming because there are SO MANY fighting this battle. It seems like there is no end to this ever flowing river of diagnosed people. On a continual basis I hear of one more person who has a tumor or a spot or is getting tests and scans, or maybe starting their first treatment. Sometimes it just seems overwhelming.
When I was getting the last treatment I saw a young woman (I'd guess to be about 25 years old) walking into the chemo room. Her young husband was close behind her, trying to help her get settled into the lazy boy chair for her treatment. She had a cute hat covering up her loss of hair. I looked at them and I thought "God, I hate this! She is so young!"
Sometimes I start to think... "God, how could you let this keep happening?" If I think that though, I am essentially believing that God sent the cancer. I do not believe that. I just don't. I don't see anywhere in the life of Jesus where He sent bad things to the people around him. Did He ever GIVE someone sickness? No! Did He ever send suffering to anyone? No! He came to heal the sick, to love the wounded, to feed the hungry, to speak life and truth and hope to all mankind. That is the God who I follow, the God of love.
SO...what about the young woman? And what about me?
Because of what happened way back in the garden of Eden...sin entered the world. With sin came bad stuff...sickness, sorrow, murder, jealousy, the deterioration of the earth, hatred... evil in general. This is not heaven. This is earth. And it's a fallen world. The enemy Satan has very clear plans...to do as much damage to the earth and the people here in the remaining time he has before Jesus comes back.
That's why Jesus came...to change the atmosphere of this fallen world. He came to bring life and hope and light back into the world and into our hearts. To save us, no matter what happens to these earthly bodies. To save us beyond this earth.
Maybe this sounds too simplistic or fundamental.
Good vs. evil.
Light vs. darkness.
God vs. Satan.
Sorry...but it's where I am taking my stand. Simple theology.
God is good. Satan is bad. I love God. I choose Jesus.
What about those who fought this battle but died? Where's the theology for that?
I consider them brave warriors that lost this earthly battle but, praise God, were victorious in death. Ultimately, they won the war. They are incredible heroes of the faith, in my opinion. Courageous veterans who gave their lives in battle. Not a very common perspective, but one that I have come to believe after lots of thought and prayer.
When I hear about one more person getting cancer...this is what I do. My initial response is that I am sad for them. Then I move to an indignation that says..."NO, NOT AGAIN. The enemy must be stopped." I add them to my own prayers and begin praying with boldness for the healing of Jesus to come to them, for He alone is the Healer.
A friend sent a great verse to me recently...Jeremiah 32:17
Oh Sovereign God, You made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you!I go back for treatment this Monday, Sept. 12th.
My request? Please pray for everyone that walks into that room to have "first try" IV's. Please pray for everyone that walks into that room to be filled with the strength and courage of the Lord. Please pray for everyone that walks into that room ... to be healed.
O God,
Praise to You, O God. You are full of goodness and love and mercy and grace! Thank You. Thanks for redeeming all the difficult moments of my life. Thanks for being the Redeemer of everything. What the enemy intended for evil, O Lord, You redeem it somehow. Thank You, Lord. This is my prayer...that You would heal the sick. Strengthen and hold us up and restore our health. It's a big request...but nothing is too hard for You.
In Jesus' beautiful and powerful Name,
Amen.
