even better
The text message from my brother was terse: “Dad just passed away. Come to ward now.”
My 84-year-old father had vacillated between life and death for 2 months. He finally took his final breath. Dad had lost his battle with cancer, and losing him deeply saddened me. And yet I also rejoiced, for he hadn’t really lost the battle. He…
each and every day
On March 31, 1979, Jamie Livingston took out his Polaroid camera and took a photo. He continued snapping at least one shot a day until the day he died, October 25, 1997. There are pictures of friends and dinners and quaint artifacts of Jamie’s life. By viewing Jamie’s photographs, we discover that he was a Mets fan and a filmmaker.…
dying to live
"How’s your dad?” a colleague asked me.
“Struggling to die,” I replied. My 84-year-old dad has endured the painful debilitating effects of liver cancer for 2 years. Doctors have told me and my family to be prepared for his inevitable demise. So as he lies on that hospital bed, I feel his pain. In a weak voice, he recently said,…
jimmy joy
When my friend Jimmy’s cancer returned for the fourth time, he made a choice. Though he knew the path ahead would be difficult (another invasive, painful surgery inside his lung), he strove to bring glory to God. So during his week-long, post-operative stay in the hospital, he greeted the doctors and nurses (and anyone who entered his room) with a…
face down
When my father died of cancer, the inevitable question in my heart was whether he would have lived if I had shown greater faith. I lived with significant guilt that his death was somehow my fault. Rather than bringing hope, every sermon I heard on healing was like salt on an open wound. I felt spiritually attacked and harassed whenever…
ultimate healing
What Cancer Cannot Do
Cancer is so limited . . .
It cannot cripple love.
It cannot shatter hope.
It cannot corrode faith.
It cannot destroy peace.
It cannot kill friendship.
It cannot suppress memories.
It cannot invade the soul.
It cannot steal eternal life.
It cannot conquer the spirit.
—Author Unknown
I love those words. They beautifully reflect the truth found…
surprising life
Last August in Asuncion, Paraguay, Jose Alvarenga received the worst news a father can hear about a newborn child. The doctors came and told him his son, born prematurely (only 500g/17.6 oz), was dead. A little over 4 hours after the heartbreaking event, Jose opened the box that held his tiny son’s casket so that he could say his goodbyes—and…
sacred sickness
So here I sit in my sweatpants. Not exactly the corporate casual attire we usually wear in the office. That’s because—due to sickness—I’ve been out of the office the past two days. I picked up a “bug” that my body has been battling. It’s not a big deal—far from what I experienced during the three times I’ve gone toe-to-toe with…
what matters most
I’ll never forget the time a friend phoned me after he had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. He was so pumped about all the things that were becoming clear to him, and he wanted help in writing a book that he could share with others.
My friend could hardly contain his excitement. He was so stoked that it was…
love notes
Elena Desserich was nearly 6 years old when she was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. As the cancer took its toll, her ability to speak was gradually stolen away. But little Elena would not be denied. Wise beyond her years, she continued to communicate and express her love for her family through handwritten notes.
Sadly, cancer took Elena less than…
perfect condition—please take
Allie is a new member of a small group of believers who meet weekly. She began visiting a few months ago when a friend invited her to come so they could pray for her and support her in her battle with cancer. Allie has since received significant healing, and she has taken steps toward discovering the God who heals.
Allie’s…
the story ends well
Randy Pausch was a respected professor at Carnegie Mellon University when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2006. Pausch fought hard, but the cancer spread ferociously.
A month after he was told he had 6 to 9 months of life left, Pausch gave his now famous "last lecture." A devoted family man (wife Jai and three beautiful kids), Pausch's…
why me?
I can tell if it's good news the moment my oncologist walks through the door. Having battled cancer three times now, it's easy to read him. When he's all businesslike and somber, I know the results aren't pretty.
During a recent appointment, following many rounds of radiation therapy for a mass in my abdomen, he came bounding through the door…
the big "C" . . .
Cancer is a word none of us like to say. It's a word we would rather not think about. As a three-time cancer survivor, I've been forced to consider its effects. One thing God has taught me through my cancer is to have greater empathy for what others are going through. He's taught me a lot about perspective—what to sweat…
who, not why
Not too long ago, I visited a friend whose wife had just died of cancer. The two had been strong believers in Jesus, actively serving in the church. Then cancer struck. For 6 months, the church prayed earnestly for healing. But God didn't seem to care. The man felt that God had abandoned them at the time when they needed…
