Dear Colleague,

Spring is warming trends, new growth, showers and, for me, remembering surgery and getting ready for more scans.

As I write to you today, I'm thankful to be sitting at my desk in my study and looking out the picture window at a very wet spring.  This week last year, I was lying here in a hospital bed, in the early stages of recovery from my bone cancer surgery.

Today, I believe I am cancer free.

But I feel the "scan-xiety" building as I prepare for my next set of scans in a little over a month. This will be the third set. These are six months after the last ones and around a year after the surgery. An MRI of the chest and pelvic area will be performed, because, as the doctor says, "That's the nature of cancer. You never know when microscopic cells are going to become active."

While I do not expect to have a recurrence, and I certainly do not want more cancer, I find myself mentally, emotionally and spiritually preparing for what I will do if the doctor says, "I see something."

While a recurrence may be worse, having cancer is not new. I am an experienced cancer patient who has travelled through a diagnosis, surgery and recovery. 

That journey produced victories beyond anything I expected. The victories found me as I was travelling new territory. I was not looking for them, nor did I produce them. They were surprising gifts from God, given through His people and, other times, directly from Him to me through dreams, revelation, Scripture and the assurance of prayers being heard. So, if I am required to experience another event in this ongoing cancer journey, I know God will be there and, whatever the outcome, He will produce new victories, help me, and/or send help so I can get to the next place or the ultimate destination.

Earlier today, I was talking with my friend who lost his wife last year. I referred to her passing in a previous email about "Tenderness." He replied to a text I sent him, "I'm not who I was and not who I will be."

When we talked a short while after the text, he did not say, "It wasn't suffering," but he did quote the Apostle Paul by saying, "I rejoice in my suffering because I know that suffering produced perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."

And then he added, "I think I am getting somewhere. I'm closer to hope."

I hope I am too.

Cancer is more than a clinical journey from diagnosis to treatment, treatment to surgery, surgery to therapy, therapy to recovery, all on the road of one appointment to the next, over and over again.

It is a personal journey of the spirit, soul, mind and body that is shared by our God, family and friends. Everyone is involved and probably changed, at least a little, hopefully for the better.

In caring for a cancer patient, they probably want much of what I look for in support on my journey: presence, listening and empathy. 

Your care will empower those impacted by cancer to keep moving forward.

Your care matters!

"The purpose of The Best Care Ministry Network is to share ideas and resources with care ministries throughout the faith community and bring together leaders in Care Ministry to establish best practices of Care Ministry so that we build a culture that cares, for the good of people and the glory of God."