A Lesson Learned

Why do I continue to hear God’s word and fail to put it into action?  I learned my lesson last week.  

The week before Christmas with all my “important” to-do’s hovering over me, I jumped out of bed, threw on some clothes and rushed out the door to deliver my children to school.  I had only hours left before my children would be home for the holiday thus leaving me with little alone time to prepare all the Christmas surprises and ready our home for the holidays.  Mark was managing his treatments well but obviously more tired and would be ready for the time of rest that would so providentially come at the end of this chemo/radiation cycle.  Mounting anticipation and my worldly expectations were creating a crevice for the attack of the enemy.

I was shopping for those last minute Christmas gifts (worldly treasures?).  The more I thought about family and what gifts would be perfect for each one, the more I felt waves of sadness and depression.  It wasn’t about any one fear or doubt, just unexplained emotion – grief mounting and then subsiding.  I’d find the item on my shopping list, recover a bit from the last wave and then another wave of sadness.  This continued throughout the afternoon and into the evening.  Then a mildly tense moment would bring on another attack of emotion.  This was beyond normal….this was spiritual, the “Devil’s schemes” (Eph. 6:11).

Ok, I was just warned of this potential attack in various ways.  Why do I keep  forgetting to tighten the belt of truth, fit my feet with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace, take up the shield of faith, take the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God?  I did not seek God and His comfort that morning!

I’ve been reading a book about a cancer survivor’s experience and read about how his wife was attacked by spirits of doubt while in a hospital waiting room alone during one of her husband’s surgeries.  She specifically said that she “had not put on the shield of faith”.  After I read about her experience, I sent an early request to a friend to please join me to help hold my “shield of faith” during Mark’s upcoming surgery.  She’ll be there!  I’d already asked my sister to come and help with the kids (maybe it’s easier to plan for the physical needs).  Thanks God for the reminder! 

That had been another reminder to put on the Armor of God.  And our pastor’s recent sermon had reinforced our need to do this.  I had just written about this last week in my blog for goodness sake…HELLO ANGELA!  The Holy Spirit was now screaming at me!!!!

I am learning that no matter how strong, optimistic, faithful I think I can be, I cannot survive without full dependence on His mighty power.  While this battle is a physical battle against cancer, it is only a small part of a much bigger battle and our enemy the devil is looking to pounce. 

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Eph. 6:12

Lord, give me the power to seek you daily through your word and prayer.  Help me to have the discernment to see how to put on the full armor you promise will protect us.  And after I have done everything, help me to stand firm, be alert and pray.  Amen.

We have had a blessed holiday with wonderful unexpected gifts of encouragement from the Body of Christ.  Daily Christmas gifts were delivered to our door to help us savor time together as a family. Thank you to those who have chosen to share God’s love to us in this way! We have enjoyed Christmas devotionals, games, puzzles, movies, warm rest by the fire, yummy meals and goodies, Christmas songs and uncontrollable laughter that will be remembered for years to come.  We were visited by loved ones, received wonderful words of encouragement and support, and worshipped our Lord and Savior during the celebration of His birth.  The Lord is faithful even when we forget to put His words into action!    

Standing Firm

I am marveling at how God’s intricate plan for this cancer battle is unfolding.  There are so many pieces, and He is in all of it.  Thoughts of His guidance and grace bombard me, and I cannot write it all down fast enough. 

I marvel at how strong and courageous my husband is as he deals minute by minute with the side effects and emotions of this cancer attack.  I’m not sure how I expected him to be, maybe more like I would be, whining and seeking comfort from others.  He is seeking God’s comfort, confident, capable, enduring.  He is memorizing God’s encouraging words of Isaiah 40. And instead of complaining about how he feels, Mark is complaining about how difficult it is to memorize these days.  (Our first grader recites the whole Christmas story from Luke Chapter 2 with ease – Oh, how we wish we’d hidden more of God’s words in our hearts when we were younger and it was easier!) 

Of course Mark is courageous, he is a Marine, trained for battle.  As I watch him enduring this first attack, I see a real Marine - silent and strong, confident and capable.  But not capable from his own strength; it is much bigger than that.  It’s amazing how God has so skillfully knitted together Mark’s battle armor customized just for him.  The military endurance training is evident, but that is really a small part of it.  I see the armor strengthened by Mark’s faithfulness to PROACTIVELY seek God regularly through Bible reading and prayer, sharing his faith and building relationships.  He is memorizing scripture, consulting nurses and doctors, staying on top of all his medications, anticipating his physical needs. He is managing this so well.  He has been trained and prepared by the Almighty! 

Just weeks before this battle began, our pastor walked us through God’s words in Ephesians 6:10-20 – The Armor of God.  Wow, God told us what the armor should look like just before we knew we were entering this battle.  One thing that rang clear to me in those messages was that we are to “stand firm.”  While we are also to “do everthing,” the real emphasis is in STANDING and STANDING FIRM -- not continuing to attack but allowing God’s armor to protect us and letting God work!

I’m the researcher, analyst and planner in the family.  I find myself wanting to do more to plan , to analyze blood test, and seek more complimentary treatments.  Should we be pursuing alternative treatments?    I want to hover and control.  Mark is standing firm – Thank you God, that my husband is the head of our family.  And thank you for his spiritual strength especially in this battle.

What Happened to Hezekiah?

December 6, 2010

This past weekend God was feeding us spiritually and answering our prayers in unique ways.  Mark was tired, but there are other signs that treatments are doing what they are intended to do.  Thank you God for this encouragement.  I was the one that got the cold. Thank you God that it wasn’t Mark, at least yet.  We are all washing our hands regularly, and after some additional rest, I feel better too.  God also fed us spiritually at church yesterday with a marvelous speaker whose sermon was clearly and providentially designed just for us!  Wow he was good.  More on this later…..

I had thought that I would need to continue with my Job study but all weekend long, I had this nagging question in my mind about what really became of Hezekiah after his sign from God.  Did He live exactly 15 years?  What did he do for God after he was allowed to live?  Will Mark live just 15 more years?  What does God have in store for him? The questioning in my mind has its roots in a meeting Mark and I had with one of our medical coordinators a few weeks ago.   In the meeting, we were describing our clock story, and Mark said, “If I had rested in the message of Isaiah 38, however, I would have missed the encouraging words that God has for us in Isaiah 40.”  After the meeting I went home to read what Mark was referring to. 

 “27 Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, 
’My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God?’ 
28 Do you not know? Have you not heard?  The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. 
He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 
29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 
30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 
31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. 
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”  Isaiah 40:27-21

God was speaking to Mark in the days that followed his diagnosis with powerful encouragement.  Thank you Lord for Mark’s faithfulness to your word and for your encouragement to him.

But this did not answer my nagging questions about what happened to Hezekiah…was this the Holy Spirit trying to tell me more about what will happen to Mark OR just leading me to His word again?  Does God have more to say to me?  Surely he does but where is He going with this?  I wouldn’t want to make light of what God reveals in the rest of Isaiah – God constantly presents His love to Israel (and us) and promises to establish a glorious kingdom in which peace and righteousness will flourish.  We can be a part of that! 

But, it doesn’t answer my question about Hezekiah!  Alas, there is more about Hezekiah in 2 Kings 20 and 2 Chronicles!  I love how God gives us everything we need to know in His Word.  So I read these chapters along with a Bible commentary to help me understand what God was doing through Hezekiah.  I even read beyond Hezekiah about how God dealt with the mostly unrighteous kings that followed.  It seemed there was only one king besides Hezekiah during this time that really tried to do what God wanted – Josiah. 

Although neither was perfect, God did show His mercy and grace to both Hezekiah and Josiah.  To Hezekiah, God gave 15 more years (as He had promised) and he prospered. God may choose to save Mark from this cancer so he can do many more things for His kingdom on earth.

“20 This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah, doing what was good and right and faithful before the LORD his God. 21 In everything that he undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.”  2 Chronicles 31:20

Josiah, unlike kings before and after him, did amazing things to cleanup the messes of his predecessors and bring his people back to God’s plan for them.  God showed mercy to Josiah by actually allowing him to die not having to see the demise of his people.  God may choose to take Mark’s life and bless him with heaven early.

“19 Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people—that they would become a curse and be laid waste—and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I also have heard you, declares the LORD. 20 Therefore I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.’” 2 Kings 22:19-20.

I know that even today, God can allow a death to spare a righteous follower of His from having to endure the pain and effects of sin on this earth.  Thank you God that our hope is in your eternity and not what this world offers us.  Thank you for your promise that we will all live together with you in heaven if we trust in your son Jesus Christ as our savior.  I can endure life on earth with or without my husband because I know you have promised me so much more in eternity.  You will renew my strength!  Amen.

Praying through Job

I’ve finally mustered enough courage to begin reading through the book of Job.  I started it a couple of weeks ago and got so disgusted with Job’s wife that I had to stop and pray that God would help me to be more supportive than that!  I know that it is easy for wives to sometimes miss the point. I want to reflect God to my husband and others around me, especially through the pain of cancer. “God, Please help me not to be so discouraging as Job’s wife was!”

I know the story of Job and have read it in pieces before.  Now, I will study it in more depth, all of it, and pray that God will reveal himself more fully through this.

I had forgotten how much talking there was here especially from Job’s not-so-helpful friends.  I got in to their sermons and all I could hear was “Blah, blah, blah.”  So, today I am skimming past some of that diatribe and trying to get the whole story in a capsule.  First I’ll focus on the Bible only and maybe later get out a Bible commentary or look for some other book to help answer my questions that arise.

Wow, Job is in so much pain, so miserable.  I read a story about a man who fought cancer and reached a similar period of despair, he’s a survivor.  I watched my mom battle cancer; she was so strong through all that pain.  She fought 11 years before God took away all her pain. “God, please don’t let my husband suffer this level of pain and despair.  You say that you will anoint our heads with oil as our shepherd in the 23^rd Psalm.  Do this for Mark so that he won’t suffer as Job did.”

 I notice that in his despair, Job said, “If only there were someone to mediate between us (speaking of God), someone to bring us together, someone to remove God’s rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more.” (Job 9:33-34)  Isn’t that what the Bible promises us that the Holy Spirit will do for us – He intercedes for us in prayer when we don’t have words (I need to find this reference.)  “God, deploy your Holy Spirit to actively intercede for Mark through his trial.”

Finally, I came to “Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm.”  FINALLY, the actual words of God! He spoke out of the storm; I love storms.  Interesting how God chose to speak out of a storm.  I will listen more for the whispers and words of the Lord, especially the next time we have a thunderstorm.  “God, help me to listen to you more in every circumstance because I know from our clock story that you can speak very personally in many unique whispers as well as through storms!”  I got chills as I read how God spoke of His own power and character….I’ll have to read this again!

Do not become weary...

This morning I spent an hour on the phone with the insurance company.  First I learned that they did not want to speak to me because I am only a WIFE.  After much holding time, forms sent, discussions with supervisors, and calls to my husband, I was finally given approval to speak on my husband’s behalf.  Do they not know that I am not just a wife but a ”help meet” – a term often used in the Bible to describe God Himself!

I’ll have to admit, my frustration level at that point was rather high. I prayed for patience and that I would treat the person on the other end of the phone exactly as Christ would have treated her.  Well God took over, because my anxiety was calmed and I even dusted my furniture while I waited!

While little real progress has been made in their evaluation of our treatment funding, I was blessed to have been routed to a very capable and helpful customer service representative.  Thank you God for sending her to me!  She was helpful in explaining parts of our policy that many insurance people had not been willing and/or able to explain.  She was caring, courteous, professional and proactive.  She is following up on our call.  It appears that the delay is somewhere in the data entry department……ugh! 

“Lord, please help the data entry pile to send my information to the top, the insurance reviewer to have a heart and mind worthy for a just and fair review, and bless those whose decisions would be pleasing to you!  Oh! And thank you that we do have insurance!  I know that we never thank YOU enough.  Amen.”

Galatian 6:9-10

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

Clock Update

The weekend after Mark’s diagnosis was the weekend that clocks were to be adjusted for daylight savings time.  Before I went to bed Saturday night I stared at that clock intently wondering what it would do.  Twice a year it automatically adjusts itself to daylight savings time, and we wake up the next morning with an accurate clock.  Would it adjust?   Is it really getting that radio signal?  I went to bed.

Sunday Morning Nov. 7, 7:36am I wrote:

“Last night the clocks ‘fell back’ to adjust for daylight savings time.  So, we wondered what would happen to the atomic clock.  It should adjust. It reads ‘7:29’ – It appears that it adjusted the hour for DLS time but not for the 8-10 minute error.  Is it slightly correcting?  Wow, the clock is getting the signal!  The error is clearly something God has used but I wonder what to make of it all.  Will it correct?  If so, when?  What else will He reveal to us?  He is whispering: He is in control."

I think I need to read Job. I will, but I’m not quite ready to.

Our clock is still 8 minutes behind.

Communicating the News

With lab tests confirming the diagnosis, we began to evaluate the best way to communicate this news particularly to our children.  Part of me felt as though I’d wake up any minute and realize I had been in a dream.  If we began to tell others, then it really had to be true.  But we must begin this process. 

God had already been preparing the hearts and minds of our children to receive this news.  He had been strengthening their faith and surrounding them by others who point them to God every day.  The day before we were to share the news, the Magic School Bus (a cartoon on television) took a ride through the digestive system while our children watched and learned about the large intestine.  Our first grader had recently studies the digestive system in school.  The week before this, our first grader’s reading homework was a book about all kinds of clocks.  Their hearts were being shepherded by God and as much as we did not want to have to tell them this news, they were ready.

The morning before we told them, waiting for Mark to finish another test, this is what I wrote in my journal:

“I am at peace.  God is in control. We will speak with the children after school tonight.  God has given us wonderful friends that point to God and His glory.  They are caring for our children too.  I will take Mark home to rest and pick up the children at school (just like normal).  The plan for communicating is tenuous; God will give the words.  We want to point to God in strength and with peace so our children see an example of real trust and faith, reliance on God and readiness to serve Him, glorify Him and point others to Him.  He will show His glory.”

Mark and I discussed the best ways to communicate to the children - all together, each one separate?  Mark would decide.  This was his news, and God would help shape the plan.  That evening Mark spoke to each one of the children individually.  They seemed to understand, at least in their own basic way, no tears, a sense that this was just a plan we had to accomplish.  Each one processing in his or her own way. 

The next day, I picked them up from school early for flu shots and afterwards we went to Subway for a snack.  Sitting in the restaurant, I walked them through the story of how God had led Daddy to the verses in Isaiah, and we read them together.  I told them about the promise God gave Hezekiah and then asked our first grader if he knew what a sundial was.  “It’s a clock!” he said instantly.  (God had given him a lesson on this in his reading homework.)  Then my daughter’s eyes got big and her mouth fell open.  “Our clock is 10 minutes behind!”  Our sons’ eyes widened, and we sat in silence.  “Well, to be honest,” I said, “the clock is only about 8 or 9 minutes slow.”  “That doesn’t matter; close enough!” they yelled.  And, they were right. They all saw the hand of God in our lives and in our home.  As we walked out of the restaurant, my daughter said, “Mom, I hope that man sitting at the table next to us heard what we were talking about.”  I know God is going to use this!

I called each of Mark’s siblings that week to share the news.  I called my family.  They all know God and know He has a perfect plan; they are on our battle team.  I asked Mark’s siblings to check on Mark’s mom because I would tell her soon. They had already planned to see her on the day I would tell her. (God already paved the way.)  I would call her in the morning, well rested and less vulnerable to the attack of our enemy.  That morning this is what I wrote:

“Thanks Dave Ramsey, but I think I might use up my emergency fund. Praise the Lord that He will provide!”

“Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word.” Psalm 119:67 God is telling me I really need to do ALL that He says.

“Do not worry about anything but instead by prayer and supplication let your request be known by God.  And the peace that passes understanding will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.”  – my version from memory, can’t remember the reference but I’ll find it!  This is another conviction about hiding God’s word in my heart…He’s reminding me of His promises but I am really bad about remembering! (Philippian 4:6-7; and I forgot ‘with Thanksgiving!’)

I am not worrying, but I’m sad because this morning I have to tell my sweet mother-in-law that her son has cancer.  Tears…OK these are not helpful.  GOD?  

Lessons from Hosea

Below is a journal entry I wrote on September 22, approximately a month before my husband was diagnosed with cancer:

A friend of mine recommended a book to me several months ago; a love story.  Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers, a story based on the book of Hosea.  What an amazing testimony this author has!  It begins with a rather disturbing story of a very young girl.  I’ll endure but must stop to read the book of Hosea to know what God’s inspired words are.

So I read the book of Hosea and focused on the story of Hosea and Gomer.  There’s not a lot of detail but a lot about God’s relationship with the nation of Israel.  What a great day of personal Bible study.  While reading (online with my new computer) a large hawk landed on the patio fence. BREATHTAKING!  I think God is reminding me of his presence through these wild animals.

As I read, I wrote down these thoughts and prayers:

• Am I like Israel, worshipping something besides God (home, my family, security, financial security) or like a “prostitute” toward God, seeking provision from something other than God?
• Satan’s attempts come in the form of a telemarketing call to distract.  (Thank you caller ID!)  Take THAT Satan!
• Am I a traitor to God like “Benedict Arnold” (My son had asked about him after school a few days before, and we googled him to get the accurate “low-down” instead of relying on my poor history knowledge.)
• I profess to be His but don’t trust His provision.  I worry about our “financial plans” and think it is within my control.  Lord, help me to trust you more, show me how I am to serve you most.  Thank you for my praying husband who leads me in so many ways but mostly spiritually!
• Hosea 13:15b “His storehouse will be plundered of all its treasures” (Reminds me of my grandparents’ garage that burned filled with boxes of “treasures” stored for years.) Lord, help me not to trust in the material treasures of this world.
• Hosea 14:5 “Like a cedar of Lebanon, he will send down his roots.”  (I love those trees; I want to plant one of these in my yard!)  God, send down your strong roots in me!
• Hosea 14:8 “Your fruitfulness comes from me.”  Work in me Lord!

That day I prayed more fervently than I have in a long time.  God, use me however you need me to serve you.  I can endure whatever you send my way because I know that I am yours.  I asked Him to strengthen my faith.  I felt like I was jumping off a building.  He is answering my prayer!

Whispers from the Holy Spirit

This is a journal entry I made on Oct. 5, 2010...God's preparation for this trial began long ago.  Nothing is a surprise to Him! 

As I reevaluated whether my time is really supporting what my priorities in life are/should be, I was convicted.  I truly believe that my priorities should be relationship focused, heavenly focused.  For me that means my relationship with God, my husband, my children, other members of the Body of Christ, the lost and needy.  So, I started at the top and knew that I needed to determine to spend more quality time with God, in His word, in prayer.  While my brief, regular times of devotion are meaningful to me, the less regular times of deeper individual Bible Study have revealed….GLORY, whispers from God, a real sense that the Holy Spirit is alive and eager to work in my life.

During an extended period of prayer time in my backyard, God sent playful squirrels to entertain.  An extended study of Hosea and prayer sent a hawk to my back patio.  Another time of prayer and reading brought thoughts of ministry opportunities…another visit by the hawk…it this God’s whisper? 

This reminded me of a scene from C.S. Lewis’ Voyage of the Dawn Treader.  While escaping from the Dark Island (end of Chapter 12), Lucy cries out to Aslan and an Albatross arrives….”But no one except Lucy knew that as it circled the mast it had whispered to her, ‘Courage, dear heart,’ and the voice, she felt sure, was Aslan’s, and with the voice a delicious smell breathed in her face."

When I am not confined by a time limit and really allow myself to passionately search his word, pray and listen, he is encouraging and “smiling” through his glorious creation.

God's Whisper in the Diagnosis

Two weeks ago my husband Mark was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer.

Mark is healthy, disciplined, and passionate.  He has no family history of colon cancer. He did what the doctors say – annual physicals, eat well, exercise, don’t smoke, drink, etc. etc.  So, after he turned 50, he met with his doctor who recommended a colonoscopy.   Well what started as routine has sent us into a battle - a battle against cancer.

It is just short of miraculous how God has prepared our family physically and spiritually to enter this trial.   We know that God is graciously holding our hands and through this trial He will strengthen us and show His Glory.   Here’s just one example of how He is revealing Himself to us…

Mark’s first test was on a Friday.  After speaking to the doctor that day, I took my husband home explaining that the doctor had said that this was probably cancer and the lab test would likely confirm this the following Tuesday.  Mark was groggy from the procedure, and we decided to quietly get through the weekend and wait for the confirmation on Tuesday before we shared this news with anyone, especially our children.  With my mother-in-law and sister-in-law visiting that weekend and our three young children unaware of the impending news, we decided to go to dinner on Saturday to begin sorting through our emotions together. 

We sat in the restaurant parking lot reiterating what the doctor had explained, sorting through our emotions and praying.  It was at this time that Mark said, “ I have to show you the Bible verse that I read this morning.”  (Now, you must know that my dear husband has been reading through the Bible verse by verse, starting in Genesis for the last several months.  He was now in Isaiah.)  I pulled out the Bible that I keep in my glove box and began looking for the verses. I began to read Isaiah 38:

1 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.”

Well with this verse, I burst into tears, but Mark said, “No, keep reading!”  So I did:

2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, 3 “Remember, LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

4 Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah: 5 “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life. 6 And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city.”

How could it be coincidence that this was the very verse that Mark was scheduled to read on the day after this medical news?  And, what was God trying to tell us?  Mark will be cured?  Mark will live 15 years?  We are not sure, but we do know that God is here with us, listening to our cries and will walk with us through this trial that we now face.  But the story does not end there…bear with me now.

We spent the rest of the weekend in a state of shock, but also feeling that God was perhaps whispering to us in a very unique and personal way.  Monday morning Mark and I shared coffee together at our kitchen table.  Looking up at the clock Mark pointed out that is was about 10 minutes slow and that I should be careful not to rely on it.  Now I need to give you a bit of history regarding our clock…

This clock hangs above the doorway in our kitchen and is an atomic clock given to Mark by his father, a former Navy officer, several years ago as a Christmas gift.  Mark’s dad was all about precision and was determined that each family member have an atomic clock in their home linked by radio signals to ensure accuracy.  This has been the clock in our home that tests the accuracy of all others and the clock that we use to determine our final departure time, as it is the last clock we see as we depart our home.

“Maybe it needs a new battery,” I said and then got up to retrieve a new battery.  When I looked up, there was my husband reaching up to take the clock off the wall.  I handed him the battery.  He took out the old one and replaced it with the new one.  I asked, “Are we supposed to press some button or something to make sure it’s picking up the signal?”  Then we both realized that we had no time left to fuss with this clock, and I agreed to check it later.  Then, we went about starting our day as usual.  (I must note that these sorts of house tasks are very seldom joint projects for Mark and I.)

Mark left for work.  I took the kids to school and then stopped in the school parking lot to look for my grocery list.  Now I had been using my new ITouch  When I pulled my ITouch out of my purse I was led to Isaiah 38 again, this time in the New King James Version.  I reread Isaiah 38:1-6 but this time continued on with Isaiah 38:7-8:

7 And this is the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing which He has spoken: 8 Behold, I will bring the shadow on the sundial, which has gone down with the sun on the sundial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward.” So the sun returned ten degrees on the dial by which it had gone down.

“Wow, God,” I prayed. “You gave Hezekiah a sign.  That’s cool.  Do you still give signs?  OK if you don’t; I’ll still trust You.”  Then I looked at the verse again….SUNDIAL…”A sundial is a CLOCK!” I thought, “and our clock, our atomic clock, is 10 minutes slow!”  God was speaking to us through His Word!  Just as he promises us He will. 

I looked up into the parking lot and saw my friend Kelli getting into her car.  I had to tell somebody this, and Kelli was my target.  I put the car in gear and started following her car.  When I turned the corner in the parking lot, there was no sign of Kelli, so I stopped the car right where I was.  I looked to the right and there was my husband walking out in the parking lot to his car.  (Now this is only partly miraculous because Mark does work at this school!).  Well I immediately drove up to him, handed him my ITouch and said, “You have to read the rest of the verse!”  He looked at me with a confused expression.  “Read verse 7 and 8!” I said.  He read and as he looked up with tears in his eyes I said, “A sundial is a clock!  Our clock is 10 minutes slow!  God is speaking to us through His Word!  I’m not completely sure what He is saying, but I know He will show His Glory!”

The lab test results the next day confirmed that this was indeed cancer and our battle preparation began.  We know that we are not in this battle alone.  God is our Commander-in-Chief, and He will guide us with the Body of Christ by our side.  We will give Him all the praise!