Cancer is real, so is He!

In 2003, death became very real to me when I learned that I had breast cancer.  Although I was recommended a barrage of treatments by my doctors and the possibility of a cure, that reality continued to hang over me.  My faith in my Lord Jesus made me press on and to dig in and He revealed to me that He would walk with me through this.  That allowed me to have the positive attitude and the courage to fight.

I went through several months of chemotherapy and radiation treatments.  I felt the comfort of His presence and it made me even more determined to go on.  After the treatments were completed, my oncologist ordered, what seemed like an unending list of tests, i.e., MRI’s, CT Scans, Mammograms and many others.  With the results of these tests came good news of being cancer free.  I was elated, to say the least.  I knew that if it wasn’t for my faith, and how real God has shown Himself to be, I would not have the strength to fight.

I was cancer free for the next year and a half.  Then in 2005, I was diagnosed with cancer in other parts of my body that had metastasized from the breast cancer.  Again, I went through the treatments and was again cured.  In the following few years, it happened two more times.  Praise God, as of today, I am completely cured!

The reality is that my faith in God does not make me immune to sickness, physical pains and emotional turmoil.  I have no control over cancer but God does.  When I was first diagnosed with cancer, I turned it all over to God and it has been in His hands ever since.  By doing that, it gave me a very positive attitude in all phases of my life.  His presence in my battle with cancer has definitely made me believe that I did not fight and face these demons alone.

The support, prayers and concern from my daughter, my granddaughter, my family and friends are one of the many evidences of God’s reality.  I rejoice each day the Lord gives me to live.  I don’t live one day at a time, I live one moment at a time!  My journey is still not complete, but when the day comes and I meet my Lord, I know that all the struggles I went through were all worthwhile because in every step, in every struggle, He is right there, with me.

Pat Hazlin
August 12, 2009