Faith, Prayer and Cancer

I work in a small family owned print shop that has been in business for over 30 years in Richardson. We have people come in who have been doing so for many years. We tend to attract people of faith and many of the businesses that use us are faith based, so the incident that happened Thursday isn’t unusual, just really so full of God that I was so jazzed after it happened I knew I needed to write.

I want to set up the situation. I worked all day on a design and was ready to get away from my computer when one of our customers came in. She has taken over my computer before and sure enough she has some last minute changes and asked to use my computer. I was more than happy to get up and go out front and wait on customers. An older gentleman came in and asked me to copy an assortment of medical related papers. We have self service machines, but some people especially older ones don’t want to hassle with the machines, so they have us do the copying.

When I finished up and started to ring him up the man began a conversation with me. “Since I was in here last I have kept myself very busy.”

I said “yes.” I have no idea what he is talking about.

“I get calls from all over to go visit people in the hospital. I get calls to go cheer people up.” He continues.

My father for years until recently had a very active hospital visitation ministry. He is in his mid eighties and not quite as active now. It was just always something as he felt lead to do, sometimes as an elder in his church sometimes not. He just went. Mom often went along. I told the man this and smiled approvingly. I love to hear about people reaching out to others. It makes me feel like there are good people, we just don’t hear about them enough. The man has now piqued my curiosity.

I told him that I write devotionals I wanted to write about him. I am thinking a don’t grow weary of doing good, anyone can do ministry if they want, keep your eyes open sort of thing.
He said “OK, let me tell you my story. I got cancer. I was diagnosed at stage four and because of my age I was told they would treat me for 90 days that was it. So I was lead to believe I had several months to live.”

His eyes are starting to tear up. I know this is very emotional for him. “My two grandson 8 and 10 years old call me and tell me they want to go shopping with me, but that is just an excuse. They justed wanted to get me alone so they could tell me what they have done.”
I am listening intently.

“They called all their friends, all their friends on their sports team and asked them to pray for me. These little boys who they told, told their parents to pray. The parents called their churches and put me on their prayer list. The next thing I know there are church in Dallas, Richardson, Plano, Allen, Frisco all around praying for me.”
We both have tears in our eyes. “I have never heard of such an out pouring of pray for anyone in my life.” His voice cracks.

“When I go to the doctors the nurse chews me out. She tells me this is serious, I should be more worried, but I can’t I just can’t, I am at peace,” he explains to me.

“What kind of cancer did you have?” I asked. He told me Lymphoma. I tell him about my sister. He says he is in remission and the doctor’s are mystified. He said because of his case at Southwestern they have made a new policy on older patients that have been given a poor prognosis. They have decided to not write them off. He said one of the doctors there was studying the relationship between cancer, treatment and the role faith plays in it. He interviewed my new friend for the study.

“But let me tell you the neatest thing that came out of all this difficulty I have suffered. I get a call awhile back from a man who asked me to share his last sunset. What a privileged that was. I drove to Southwestern. We opened the blind so we can see the sun going down and I sat in a chair next to him and we watched the sun go down. Sure enough that was his last one. It was the most amazing thing I have ever done to share that time with another human being.”
I have tears down my checks now.

People call me from all over because they need cheering up. People call me for their family members who have been diagnosed and are so depressed they won’t talk to anyone, but they will talk to me because I have been where they are now. So I go.

I am thinking about all my yuck and the message I got from my friend and prayer partner. She told me “God can use me better this way.” That is what God told her when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. And he has used her, just like this man.

Before he left, he laughed and said I bet the doctors fight over who is going to get the credit for getting me into remission, but we know why I am still here don’t we. Prayer really works and God does heal even today.

I realize I am looking at a miracle of Biblical proportion. He just left the shop… because of the faith of two little boys who loved their grandpa.

Dedicated to: My dad, my sister Mary, Suzy, T.J. and Janet, and Jenia and her mother in law.