What do you do when you have cancer, and it’s Christmas, with all sorts of happy joyful people? But hey, is that really the question? Shouldn’t it really be, what do you do when you have cancer, and the world goes on? Does it really matter whether or not it’s Christmas? The core question remains. Does it help to lift up cancer to Jesus?
First, does it matter if it’s Christmas? Well, actually, yes, it does matter. But then it’s also no, it doesn’t matter. It depends.
And the core question – does it help to lift up our cancer to Jesus? Again, yes. However, it might also be no. It depends.
We’ll get into both of those questions shortly.
But first …
Just look at all those ribbons. Mine’s the light blue one. Prostate cancer.
In case you haven’t read anything else from this series, Don’t Waste Your Cancer, here’s a brief history.
I was first diagnosed with prostate cancer just over three years ago. October 2019. Just before COVID.
The biopsy said it wasn’t very aggressive. Nor was there very much of it.
As COVID increased, one of my tests was postponed, since my earlier test indicated fairly low aggression cancer.
Then an MRI was done. No detectable mass. Presumably, good news.
That was followed by a biopsy showing the cancer was now both more aggressive and more widespread. Surgery was scheduled.
The biopsy on the removed prostate showed the cancer to be still more aggressive and more widespread than any previous tests.
Cancer cells were on the margins. Therefore, the cancer was all but certain to still be in me.
So I switched to a well-known cancer research and treatment center.
What happened there would have totally freaked me out in years past. My PSA level was 0.000. Undetectable. Not that there weren’t any cancer cells. There pretty much had to be. So I was put back on active surveillance. Wait and see.
And it wasn’t even MRIs and biopsies. How could it be? It was undetectable. It was just blood tests for PSA levels. Granted, to a much higher level of precision than guys get from a normal blood test. But it’s still a let’s wait until it gets worse and see what happens.
Early this year, 2022, non-zero test results came. And every three months the numbers were higher and higher. But still, not high enough to do anything but wait.
Now, December 2022, Christmas time, I’m within a couple of tenths of a point of being evaluated for radiation. But it’s still not high enough to actually look for it with any kind of scan. Should that not be cause for concern?
Does it help to lift up cancer to Jesus?
Does it help to lift up cancer to Jesus? It absolutely can help! Whether or not it does, well, that depends on us. We’ll get into that later, but first, my story.
It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”
Do you recognize the heading? It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.
But I’m going to flip the scene here.
My version is this: It was the worst of times. It was the best of times.
It was the worst of times.
Of course, I’m not literally saying cancer is the worst thing that can happen to us. I’m not even sure it’s the worst thing I’ve gone through. Yet. But it’s not anywhere on anyone’s bucket list of things to experience.
So let’s call it the worst of times. Especially when the year starts off wondering when, probably not if, I’ll have to begin treatment.
And while the year started with no trace of any cancer cells, the situation got progressively worse. Just barely below the point at which treatment will probably begin. Fear of the unknown is one of the worst things for us humans.
Fear of pretty much anything can bring about depression for those of us who suffer from anxiety that can turn into depression in the blink of an eye.
It was the best of times.
It was the best of times.
And yet, it was the best of times. Of course, not in the way most people think of the best of times.
But here’s what’s happening that others can’t see, and that many people can’t understand.
As Christians, we say lots of things. All things happen for a reason. All things will turn out for good. God is always with us. We should find joy in our difficult situations. But then, how many of us actually do this? I mean, really do this?
I used to be so mad at God for the things He was “doing to me”. Eventually, after far too long, I changed the question to, what am I supposed to learn from what’s happening? He never actually answered any of those kinds of questions. Ask Job about that – He never does!
But over time, looking back, I can see now what He was doing. I can sum it up in one sentence. I wish it was me that came up with that sentence. But it wasn’t. It was someone to speaks no English. Who does missionary work in China. And we had someone acting as interpreter for us, as we talked. Here’s what she said. “When things are bad, reach out, grab hold of Jesus, and never let go!”
Words to live by. Words that express a thought I already knew. And yet, as I often say – sometimes when you’re knee-deep in alligators, it’s hard to remember that the original task was to drain the swamp. Not my words either, I read them somewhere. Don’t remember where. But I love the picture it paints.
I’m writing this because the small group I’m in at church was asked to light the Advent Candles on Christmas day. Our leader, the Senior Pastor, asked who wanted to read scripture, light the candles, or share something about how Jesus has worked in our life this year. I said I don’t really feel like I want to share anything.
You all who read this, in many ways, know more about me than the people I actually interact with in “real” life. It’s easier to talk about me when no one knows who I am. Outside of the small group I mentioned and the Bible Study class I lead on Sunday, I suspect many people in the church will be unaware of most of what I just wrote.
And yet, when asked about sharing, the next thing I said was, but I feel like God’s telling me I should. Guess who’s sharing? So that’s why I’m writing. Trying to get things together.
How can it be the best of times?
How can it be the best of times when I’m waiting to find out when radiation treatment for cancer is going to start? It’s all that stuff above about the things Christians say. All things happen for a reason. All things will turn out for good. God is always with us. We should find joy in our difficult situations.
What does Christmas have to do with this?
Why do I bring up Christmas? Is it just because It’s Advent and Christmas is at the end of the week? Well, yes, that’s part of it. It is because I’m going to share this at church? Sure, that’s part of it too. But let’s face it.
Christian and depressed. How is that possible?
The Bible says the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. How is it then that we can be Christian and depressed? With all that love, joy, peace, Etc., is it really possible to still be depressed? From experience, I say absolutely yes.
Christmas is a depressing time for many people. Like me. For various reasons, while many people are happy, feeling full of joy, there are also those of us who are reminded of things in our past. And they affect our present. Or maybe it’s just our present situation that’s depressing. It happens.
So maybe it’s at Christmas more than any other time of the year, that lifting up our cancer to Jesus is really important. And not just cancer. Any problem seems to feel magnified at Christmas.
So let’s get into the details here. I’m not going to give you a 5-step program. I’m not even going to tell you it’s guaranteed to work. The truth is, whether or not it works is mostly up to us.
We have to believe. And I don’t mean just say some words. I mean believe what Jesus said and promised to the point where it changes our lives.
I also don’t mean we’ll be healed if we believe. Chances are, there won’t be any miraculous healing. Strong enough faith isn’t what brings miracles. It’s whether or not the occurrence of a miracle is part of God’s plan. Our own plans have nothing to do with it.
However, Jesus did promise to be with us always. But even here, “us” means those who believe and live their lives based on that belief, and are trying to walk – as much as possible – along God’s planned path.
Let’s see how that looks.
Does it help to lift up cancer to Jesus?
I wrote earlier that lifting up cancer to Jesus might help. That it depends. Depends on what? It depends on our expectations. If we expect to be healed, as in a miraculous healing, we’ll probably end up disappointed. Maybe angry. Possibly depressed. Maybe even walk away from God when healing doesn’t come.
But let’s get real here. Yes. Jesus never failed to heal anyone of their physical ailments when He walked the earth during His short time here. However, Jesus wasn’t here just to heal people of their physical ailments! Jesus came to save us from our sins. To give us eternal life.
And if we have to use the word heal, maybe to heal us of our spiritual ailments. Sort of. More like forgive us for the things we did and will do because of our spiritual ailments. And to, in that future eternal life, provide us a new life where there are no physical or spiritual ailments.
All of that leads to this conclusion. We have no right to expect Jesus to heal any of our physical problems. We can ask. We should ask. But ultimately, we have no right to expect/demand healing.
Then why lift up our problems to Jesus?
If that’s the case, then why lift anything up to Jesus? If He’s not going to fix things, then why bother?
It’s tempting to go into a whole string of passages from the Bible to show where it says we should lift up our problems to Jesus. But then this would be way too long.
Does it help to lift up cancer to Jesus?
So for now, let’s just say it is worthwhile to bring our problems to Jesus. The sense of peace, no matter the outcome of our problems, is more than enough reason.
Let’s just leave it at that today. Then, as time goes on, and as I write more / find other things I’ve already written, I’ll add them in here.
It’s kind of a pain to keep coming back here to ass if anything’s been added, but it’s easy to sign up for email notifications when new things are posted on this site. Just use the subscribe box towards the top right of the page.
The image, as it says, it from Healthline. I’m hoping that since this is informational, hopefully inspiring to others with cancer, and no money is earned from this site, that it’s OK with them if I use it.
