The COVID-19 pandemic and the fact that we live in different
states kept us apart for many months, but when we finally met face to face God
blessed me richly.
Long story short, my friend Joshua is a young family man my wife and I
“met” in November 2020 when his name appeared on our fellowship prayer chain.
Joshua, the son of a dear brother and sister at church, sought prayer after
being diagnosed with an aggressive stage 4 colon cancer.
The original tumor had spread to his lymph nodes and liver. His
oncologist told him, “There is no cure for this type of cancer,” and said that
with Joshua’s permission, he would explore several treatments to see if they
could succeed in preventing the disease from spreading further. Thus began a
months-long fight for life that incorporated prayer, vitamins, surgery and medical
treatments that included prolonged infusion sessions at an urban cancer center.
Joshua, who had immediately surrendered his health to the
Lord, also established a commitment to repeated prayer that went something like
this: “Lord, I ask that whether I live or die, you will be glorified.”
Joshua’s goal to see God glorified inspired him to share his
story with periodic Facebook posts, often brutally truthful, many times laced
with evidence of an indomitable sense of humor. I was doubly blessed as he
battled, in that he showed a willingness to share messages back and forth privately.
Praise be to God! Joshua’s prayers – and those of family and
countless brothers and sisters praying on his behalf -- were answered with
healing! In July and August of this year a series of tests culminated with the
conclusion that his body is free of cancer!
Our “online” communications continue as our bond in Christ
has been strengthened with each passing day. But a special blessing occurred
when Joshua and his wife traveled to our area from Oregon to spend time with
family. They graced us with a face-to-face visit at a coffee shop, where these
delightful young parents, my wife and I had the opportunity to share stories of
God’s faithfulness in our lives.
It’s impossible to “top” the reality of Joshua’s healing
from cancer, but one of the more surprising elements of our conversation that
day was this:
Joshua told me of his experience at the cancer treatment center,
where his initial visit included the observation that he was the only young
person in the room. “There must be some mistake that put me here,” he said to
himself, noting that most of his fellow patients were elderly women. Clear
confirmation of his doctor’s report that this type of cancer typically
victimizes elderly people.
For many days, Joshua opted to pass long hours of infusion
treatment with laptop and earphones, “escaping” from the grueling medical environment
into a world of music and movies. And who would fault anyone for seeking a way
to pass the time, to take his mind off of the “alien” environment and lengthy
treatment process of radiation and chemotherapy?
Then one day the Lord spoke to Joshua as only He can. He
instructed the young patient to disconnect from technology, to take a good look
around at those in the room sharing his circumstances. He was called to pull
the computer plug and connect with the other human beings in the room.
From the beginning, said Joshua, “I never turned from the
Lord in anger. I had learned through several previous trials that anger was an
indicator that I wasn't fully trusting the Lord's plans for my life. Despite
feeling at peace about my faith, I was surprised to learn that the perception
of feeling like the Lord had placed me in the ‘wrong crowd’ was an act of
rebellion on my part.”
Turning immediately from his solo effort to disengage, he
began to introduce himself and have conversations with other patients around him.
He soon discovered that despite age differences, there were many precious points
of connection with these fellow patients. Relationships were built, and God
manifested His presence by providing opportunities to share his faith in Jesus.
Joshua’s initial prayers – that God would be honored and
glorified ‘no matter what’ in this battle against cancer – were clearly,
lovingly answered, providing yet another exciting “chapter” in the story of his
life – a life surrendered to Jesus Christ. Praise be to God, our faithful
Father!
