Sunday, August 13, 2017

THINGS I LEARNED IN THE VALLEY of the Shadow of Death

THINGS I LEARNED IN THE VALLEYof the Shadow of Death

PART ONE

I never thought I'd get a cancer diagnosis. Everyone in my family seemed to have heart trouble. But I'll never forget listening to a surgeon give me the biopsy report: Cancer! One little word . . . but a major life-changer. My initial reaction was shock, then tears. But time was crucial and I needed to move quickly.

My journey into the Valley began in 2007. I was diagnosed with Stage Three Breast Cancer, along with Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC). Due to an insurance mix up I was not able to get treated immediately, so from the start I learned to trust God. Psalm 23 took on personal meaning. The Lord was my Shepherd and still is. Until 2016, I had labs, diagnostic mammograms and ultrasounds every six months, and more PET scans than I ever wanted to endure. Since then I have graduated to yearly mammograms. I'm still asking God for good reports (Matthew 7:7).

DARLIS SAILORS
Glamour Shots: Usage Permit Purchased 2007
Treatments began with chemo, then surgery, followed by radiation. A friend once told me she was mad at God. When I asked why, she said, "Because He gave you cancer." I said, "I don't believe that. It's just part of the human condition in a fallen world." My diagnosis was challenging because I had always been in good health. The labs, treatments and appointments seemed endless and were very tiring. But I found comfort in God's invitation to come to Him for rest (Matthew 11:28-30). In my months of chemo and radiation, physical rest was needed, but I found rest for my soul, too.

I experienced hope on a daily basis. I made it a point to read scripture. Some days I had energy for short Bible studies. Other days I simply read a chapter or two in Psalms and jotted down notes about verses that stood out to me. Sometimes I dated scriptures in my Bible that seemed particularly important to remember. Isaiah 55:9-11 says that God's Word will never return to Him empty. It will accomplish what He desires. For that reason, my hope in God and His Word was not in vain.

At times I was isolated, but I was never alone. I lived in Yuma, Arizona but due to insurance, all of my treatments were in Phoenix. God was way ahead of me on that one. My husband and I had purchased a small co-op a couple of years earlier as a vacation place. Though I was alone, I always felt safe. When I had to wear a face mask or avoid people due to my low white blood cell count, I always felt that God was near. He kept His word NEVER to leave me or forsake me (Hebrews 13:5b-6).

(Watch for Part Two next week)

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