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!
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