Difficult Transition - Reality Check

Life is hard. Life with cancer is extremely hard, especially in the early stages of cancer, or in the last stages of cancer. God's grace is sufficient to enable the believer to endure (not too strong a word - 2 Timothy 2:3, in some translations) all kinds of difficulties, but there is, indeed, much that must be "endured" with cancer.

Linda is in a period of transition. Even though she has been dealing with this tumor for two and a half months, these days would certainly be considered the early stages of her illness. She finished radiation and the first round of chemotherapy about a week and a half ago. Extreme fatigue has set in over the last four or five days. That is not unexpected at this point in her treatment. What is a bit of a surprise is the nausea that has visited Linda in the last few days, which makes taking the daily myriad medicines and supplements that await her quite a chore. Her medication regimen includes a return to steroids - not what we had wanted - which will hopefully offset some of the physical changes. Linda has thus far resisted anti-nausea medicine, but methinks that could soon change.

As I recently mentioned, Linda does not have to resume chemotherapy until the first week in May. With the rapid improvement she made during her treatment, and with assurances that the effects of her treatment would continue long after they were completed (which is still true), we had hoped that these would be great days. Instead, these are some of the most difficult days since the first two weeks in February when we learned of Linda's tumor.

So, we are going through a bit of a transition - a change, of sorts. Great news - God has not changed through this entire time! Linda has been reading A.W. Tozer's book about God's attributes, The Knowledge of the Holy. Her bookmark is at the beginning of chapter 15, which is about God's faithfulness. It is His faithfulness that will sustain us in the most difficult of circumstances. If you have read Tozer's classic work, you know what an encouragement it has been to Linda!

The Apostle Paul knew what it was like to be in stressful situations. He understood, though, the difference between difficulty and despair. In 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, Paul wrote about those differences: "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed."

Even though Paul was speaking primarily of persecution experienced as a result of one's stand for Jesus, these words can be applied to physical suffering. If you think suffering from sickness is not as meaningful as suffering from persecution, then what of Job? All life experiences are meaningful, all life experiences are superintended by a sovereign God, all life experiences need to be received and lived in grace, all life experiences require a trust that understands we do not always see the realities at work in unseen realms (go further in 2 Corinthians 4 to see how God articulates this in His Word).

What is to be our response to a more difficult period? The same as it is when times are extremely good - "Thank You, Father, for Your love and goodness. We trust You, even though this is not what we want, nor is it what we would have ordered had we been in charge. Give grace in the measure it is required, and may we glorify You in our response to this change."

Such a response does not mean that life is easy - it is not. Linda repeatedly warns me not to paint her as the perfect Christian in her suffering. When so many of you say, "I don't think our family would respond like this if it were us," you don't know if that is true or not. You don't know how difficult it is for us at times, and you are probably not taking into account how God's grace increases when you need it. At this point in our journey, it is comforting to have a Constant in our lives, a Rock Who never changes - especially when nausea, headaches, and weakness overtake the body.

As always, your prayers are appreciated more than you can know. I will not give a list, but if you have read this far, you know how to pray. God bless you!