Cancer Survivors in the Grand Tetons

Enjoying God's creation in Yellowstone

September 29, 2009,
Cells Hopefully Behaving Again (Specifics of Treatment)
I have been enjoying a season of “relative” quiet with more time for reflection and processing all that has happened, all God has done and preparing emotionally for surgery. I went through a time of grieving but God has made my heart much lighter this week and I am confident that come Monday morning I will be experiencing all the grace I need to face surgery and accept whatever the outcome is. We will find out then if the chemo did it’s work and should know in a week the pathology reports. I am told that I can do anything I want after surgery as long as I keep my hands in my pockets! They don’t want any arm movement while the drainage tubes are in so hopefully if I am a good girl the tubes will come out earlier rather than later. It could be anywhere from 1-4 weeks.
God continues to encourage me through His word and His people. Today I met with a woman whose daughter goes to Grove City where Joel goes. She had the same procedure I will be having in a year for reconstruction. She unabashedly showed me the results and it is amazing what nice results they get! So after all of this deconstruction I will be looking forward to reconstruction in a year.

Before the Face of God (Personal Meditations)
I met with ten women last week to begin a study on biblical femininity. I came away realizing that if I had not had breast cancer I would not have met with Stacey Miller this summer who came weekly to help me and wanted to study the word together, I would not have been introduced to the Five Aspects of Womanhood material she wanted to study,. I would not have felt so assaulted in my femininity and been so motivated to continue studying and we would not have our wonderful group!!! Just one example of the many “good things” God has brought out of my trial. We have been studying the Lord’s Prayer in Sunday school and I have been helped by being reminded of the difference in God’s Decreed will and His Declared will. I realized that my struggle is mainly with His Decreed will or His Secret Will which comes to us moment by moment in all the providences He sends our way. I have trouble trusting that ALL is meant for my good. Studying the differences has helped me to pray more in line with God’s will and brought me much peace. Thank you to our brother Dr. Bennett for such clear teaching on this and for the following chart.

Secret Will of God
1. The Decreed Will of God
2. Decrees of God
3. Found in the Mind of God
4. What God is doing
5.God surely performs
6.Absolutely shall be done
7.Done perfectly by God
8. Irresistible
9.Violation is impossible
10.Responsible party is God
11.Object of this will is an event
12. We cannot know
13. We need not know
14. Sinful man wants to know
15. Is for us to accept
16. Unconditional

We pray for grace
To accept whatever God brings

Related scriptures (2 Corinthians 1:1,Ephesians 1:5, John 6:39-40,Psalm 115:3,Isaiah 46:9-11, Romans 8:27)

Revealed Will for Man
1.The Declared will of God
2.Law or Commandments of God
3.Found in the Word of God
4.What man should be doing
5.Man ought to perform
6.Absolutely should be done
7.Done imperfectly by us
8.Resistible
9.Violation is sin
10.Responsible party: man
11.Object of this will is a duty
12.We can know
13.We need to know
14.Sinful man doesn’t want to know
15.Is for us to DO
16.Conditional

We pray for grace
To DO whatever God commands

Related Scriptures (Mark 3:35,Romans 12:1-2,Ephesians 6:6,1 Thessalonians 4:3,1 John 2:17,1 Thessalonians 5:18)
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Pastor Edward Elton describes the revealed will of God and then His secret will this way “By doing God’s will is first signified a yielding of obedience to God in all things that He, in His written Word, requires to be done of us and by us; it is also the submitting of ourselves unto Him willingly, in all things whatsoever he lays upon us to be suffered of us and by us. We are to resolve before such things be laid upon us, to suffer them patiently when they come, whatsoever they shall be and, when they are on us, quieting ourselves, and resting contented in the good will and pleasure of God therein revealed.”

This is where it gets hard, when we suffer illness or tragedy, to rest contented that this is the good will and pleasure of God. But the peaceable fruit of righteousness which comes after we have suffered for awhile is that slowly we begin to realize the deep, rich goodness He brings as His grace is made perfect in our weakness, confusion, pain and feeble attempts at obedience. Our daily battle to exercise faith when we cannot see or feel His presence results in a faith muscle that is big and strong. We also come to know Him more intimately which is one of the greatest blessings we can receive.
I am also struck with how most of our prayers are to change His decreed will to fit our will. I am motivated to pray more that I will obey His revealed will in the midst of suffering under His decreed will that I might bring Him glory and become more like Him.

Please join me in Thanksgiving and Petitions
*Thank God for the opportunity to minister to a friend battling cancer
*Thank God for this season of grieving and healing
*Thank God for keeping us all healthy so far (No swine flu yet!)
*Please pray that God will help us to accept His will as to whether I am cancer free at the end of treatment or not
*Please pray that we would all have a zeal for God, His word and His righteousness and that we would love Him and His will above all else.
*Please pray that He would protect me during and after surgery and that I will use my time well with my hands in my pockets
*Please pray for Tim and my family as they minister to me and we all adjust to the next phase of treatment*Please pray for my sister in law’s extended family who live in the Philippines and who were hard hit by the Typhoon