“A Peek Inside This Precious Moment with My Karen”
An Update on Karen for November 10, 2016

We often receive emails and cards that thank us for being transparent and writing about the struggles, hardships, fears, and even the joys of being on the cancer journey with the Lord. For those who know my Karen you understand that she is a private person. Never would she typically allow the spotlight to come anywhere near her. While she still would prefer to be out of sight and invisible, we both know that this entire cancer situation is an unusual assignment from the Lord and there is a Biblical principle that has encouraged her to allow me to tell the story of what the Lord is doing in her.

First, the Biblical principle. The Apostle Paul told the church at Corinth, “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). Think of this. Paul had so many troubles, hurts, set-backs, and downright difficulties. However, he was not defeated. He experienced the mercy and comfort of the Lord. As a result he was able to share how the Lord helped him when he met people in similar situations. This is why Karen allows me to tell her story. God is doing incredible things in her life. She is not going to sit at the keyboard and tell you about herself. But with her permission (I ask her to listen to everything I am about to post) I am thrilled to tell you about the mercy and comfort of the Lord so that others who are experiencing the same trouble might know what the Lord can do for him or her.

Thousands have chosen to travel this cancer journey with us. Seldom do people get to climb inside the car and listen to the conversation of the cancer patient who is leaving the doctor’s office. Rarely do people get to come in and sit down in the family room and chat about the devastating effects of cancer on the patient and her family. Almost never do people get to stand at the hospital bed and listen over the shoulder of a husband who deeply loves his wife as they quietly talk about the newly found cancer that has spread. Take all these places and conversations and bring into them the abundant, amazing mercy of the Lord and this is a story that needs to be told because there are so many others who are just beginning the journey.

Come into our car and ride home with us from the Mercy Cancer Center where Karen has just had her latest round of chemotherapy. She will have these infusions every two weeks. As we approached the traffic light, I asked my sweetheart, “So Honey. What are a couple of things you would like to share with our many friends? What has the Lord been reminding you as we once again are battling cancer? Here’s what she told me.

“First, remember the sovereignty of God. Second, remember the promises of God. Third, remember the power and presence of God. Fourth, allow your family and friends to walk through this with you. Don’t isolate yourself. While it will be difficult for them to know how sick you are, to keep them out is going to be even more difficult. You need them and they need to walk through this with you. Lastly, remember that He is our Father and we might not fully understand what He is doing at the moment. But trust Him.”

You see when you are traveling through deep valleys and the hurt is so real and traumatic, it is important to remember Who God is and what He is doing. Sometimes the cancer journey just doesn’t make sense to me as Karen’s husband. But we both know that when we cannot understand why He has allowed this, we can still remember the Lord’s character and we can trust His heart. “In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord…I remembered God” (Psalm 77:2-3).

So we are a day past her infusion and do not seem to be having severe side effects yet. The pain from the cancer is very strong and often has her feeling nauseated. If you would pray about this as well as please continue praying with us that the chemotherapy would hit hard the cancer studding in her abdominal wall. We surely would appreciate this.

I want to encourage you to build your life on the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word. Now is the time to grow strong in the Lord. Someday you or someone that you love might face the sudden curve of a serious illness. Don’t wait until then to start to get to know the Lord. Start now! Rest assured that the Lord is everything He claims to be. You can rely upon Him.