Bruce's Cancer Blog Post 3

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Admittedly 2022 has been a challenging year for us, but with 2022 quickly drawing to a close, we find ourselves greatly rejoicing as this journey continues. The chemo treatments were completed in October and the surgery to remove the tumor was completed in early December. During my first follow-up with my surgeon, I was pleased with his assessment of recovery progress.

While there are some challenges to be addressed in the coming weeks and months, we remain confident that our Lord is in control, and He always has the best plans in mind for us. Therefore, we will continue to trust in His plans. After all, He is the ultimate author of this story.

In the above passage of Scripture Paul reminds us that regardless of our circumstances we can have joy and gratitude simply because we belong to the Lord. That is the essence of the hope we have in Him and in my mind should be the mark of every believer.

Living in the reality of my cancer diagnosis has given me the chance to re-assess and prioritize that which is most important in the grand scheme of things. Not surprisingly, the three most important things for me are faith, family, and friends.

I have also been reminded that the Lord owes me nothing. He has already provided all that I ultimately need, as we celebrated the birth of our Immanuel on Christmas Day. Regarding our faith in Jesus Christ, following is an excerpt from the book Rejoicing in Lament by J. Todd Billings:

Ultimately, to be and to dwell in Christ is to dwell in the most “spacious place” imaginable. In our culture, to focus one’s trust and affection on one hope – Jesus Christ – strikes many as narrow or risky. But because of who Jesus Christ is, to dwell in Him is to occupy a wide, expansive place. In Revelation 21:6, the risen Christ declares, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.”

Colossians 1:16-17 declares that “for inhim all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” What could be more wide and capacious than this – to dwell in Christ, the Alpha and Omega, the one through whom all things were made, and in whom all things hold together? What could be more broad and expansive than to share in His life by the Holy Spirit? What could be more spacious than that? In Christ, God has truly given us a “spacious place” to dwell that overcomes death and sin, so we have good reason to “be glad and rejoice” in the love of the Lord. (Rejoicing in Lament, © 2015 by J. Todd Billings, published by Brazos Press).

During my follow-up with my surgeon, I was reminded that my status is ‘Cancer Patient.’ While progress continues to be made in pancreatic cancer patient survival, the fact is that there are no guarantees for me. The current pancreatic cancer survival rate sits at 30 percent as compared to 11 percent five years ago. As my surgeon stated, I might live another twenty, ten, or two years. Only the Lord knows the answer, and the Scriptures teach us that He has numbered our days. Because I belong to Him, I can live with that.