The Healing Power Of Hope

Though there were times during Paula’s seven-year battle against cancer when she and I felt dismayed—each time her CA 125 blood count was significantly elevated—thankfully, we were able to find solace in our faith and the knowledge that God was in control and would never forsake us. I know Paula would tell you that focusing on these truths and allowing herself to experience His grace was the key that unlocked the power of hope. God’s gracious Providence was our passage through the storm. So often we felt His mighty hand calming the tempest, steadying our way. This assurance enabled us to grow ever closer to Him and was integral to Paula’s and my spiritual fortitude throughout her seven-year battle. We were able to withstand the ravages of cancer, sustain hope, and worship Him in the midst of the storm by keeping the beacon of God’s love and care for us always within sight.

We kept fighting and kept faith and hope perpetually as our true north and were awestruck at the ways in which God fortified Paula for the battle—the physical and emotional strength He blessed her with and especially the spiritual guidance He provided for us both that empowered us to “walk through the valley of the shadow of death” secure in His love and provision for us. God gave Paula the gift of discernment to appropriately prioritize the facets of her life, a determined mind-set and zeal to continue fighting against the Goliath cancer was in our lives, and the resolute hope that she would continue fighting and defeating it in each battle and ultimately win the war through battle victories until a lasting remission or cure was achieved. He also blessed her with the grace to appreciate each new day as a gift to be treasured and celebrated as well as the capacity never to abandon hope in Him. She lived Psalm 118:24 (English Standard Version): This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

My life is but a weaving

Between the Lord and me;

I may not choose the colors–

He knows what they should be.

For He can view the pattern

Upon the upper side

While I can see it only

On this, the underside.

Sometimes He weaves in sorrow,

Which seems so strange to me;

But I will trust His judgment

And work on faithfully.

‘Tis He who fills the shuttle,

And He knows what is best;

So I shall weave in earnest,

And leave to Him the rest.

Not ’til the loom is silent

And the shuttles cease to fly

Shall God unroll the canvas

And explain the reason why.

The dark threads are as needed

In the Weaver’s skillful hand

As the threads of gold and silver

In the pattern He has planned.

Author Unknown;

popularized by Corrie Ten Boom

I challenge you to surrender your earthly expectations and allow God to fill you with His infinite peace, which we cannot even begin to fathom. Trust in Him to open the horizons of your vision to see beyond the expected—the earthly—and allow Him to see you through. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:9, NIV). Imagine, if you will, a needlework design visible from below: There is no discernible pattern, only knots and messy clumps of thread and strings of yarn hanging in places. This is our earthly view of life. The knots, messy clumps, and hanging strings are symbolic of the trials we face in this life, the trials and burdens we wish—sometimes desperately—we didn’t have to face. Now imagine the same needlework design but from above, God’s view. There is indeed a discernible pattern, one of intricate beauty masterfully designed and wrought. The same design. Vastly different perspectives.

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Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings! —Psalm 61:4 (NLT)

Living in the midst of the storm that cancer brought into our lives compelled us to find harbors of rest and rejuvenation so we could find the will and vigor to continue fighting Paula’s cancer. In the early days following her diagnosis—with its very limited prognosis for her survival beyond a year—and initial surgery, we were thrown into the tempest and felt lost, adrift. We clung to whatever we could—mostly each other—just to ride out the waves of fear and looming despair. Once we were able to get our heads above water, which by necessity happened pretty quickly because of the need to continue tending to our daily responsibilities and parenting our two sons who were still living at home and to maintain a positive attitude to support all our children through the shock and fear of learning their mother was very ill, we knew we needed to develop long-term strategies for coping so that Paula could focus on getting well. Naturally, we turned to the Lord and counted on His assurance: My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest (Exodus 33:14, NIV).