'I never turned from the Lord in anger'

 

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!