Twenty years ago on September 21, 1999, I heard words no parent is ever prepared to hear – ‘your son has cancer. We will call you this afternoon with the exact type and our next steps.’
There are many details to this story but the details are not what is important. What I want to share now is how God was part of this story.
Our youngest son, Jordan, was 4 and had been battling a nasty cough for about two months. His pediatrician had been treating him for an upper respiratory infection and had done blood work. His blood work was fine and the antibiotics would clear the cough up but as soon as it got out of his system, it would come right back. His doctor wanted us to see a specialist at Nemours in Jacksonville. This was the same time Hurricane Floyd decided to freak all of North Florida out and due to mandatory evacuations we couldn’t get an appointment for about two weeks.
But because of the delay, the biopsy was scheduled for the SAME week our church was having a revival. God’s timing! On the night before the biopsy, we went to church and had Jordan anointed with oil and prayed over. There were at least 50 pastors, deacons and other brothers & sisters in Christ crying out to Jehovah Rapha for Jordan’s healing.
We go for the biopsy and very shortly afterwards is when we hear those words. We head home and wait for the call. Finally, the call comes – yes it is definitely cancerous but it ends up being a very treatable and curable type – Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. Yes we prayed for healing and I believe with every fiber of my body, healing happened during that time of prayer. Jordan had symptoms of lymphoma not leukemia. And in 1999, lymphoma was not as treatable or curable for little boys as this type of leukemia.
This was a journey I could not bear. This was a trial I could not handle. I have had some people tell me they have no idea how I walked through those years (during this same time we were facing other major trials as well) and my response is I didn’t. It was not my strength – it was God’s! It was GOD that carried us through and gave us strength, courage, and peace. God is so very faithful — throughout the two and half years of treatment, God provided everything we needed and more. God was so very faithful to us throughout every single step of those years.
My friend, I know what you might be thinking ‘you have no idea what I’m going through.’ And yes I understand that some of you are facing so much more than we ever did. But regardless of what your trial is, my God is faithful. My God loves you and promises us He will always be there for us. He has never broken a promise and He is not going to start now. He will be with you and He will never leave your side!
“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16
I asked Jordan yesterday what the biggest blessing he remembers from this journey and his response was simple — “Being alive is a blessing.” And for those of you who may not know — Jordan is healthy, has a wife, a daughter, and is a pastor of a church in Gainesville, FL. God is just as faithful today as He was twenty years ago and He will continue to be so forevermore!
It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. Deuteronomy 31:8
NOTE: If you want to read the details of this journey, you can do so here — http://jordansjourney1999.blogspot.com/.
Rooted in Christ 