In 2011 I had tests done for cancer, about a month later the doctor phoned and said he urgently wanted to see me, it was non – Hodgkin Lymphoma. This was a name I recognised, our friend had this cancer, and died a few months later. Being told I had cancer was out of my hands, there was nothing I could do about it. But I still had choices; I could dictate how the cancer was going to affect my mind and my ability to cope with the news. If I had six months to live, I wanted to live in peace for six months.
A few minutes after putting the phone down; I prayed for the wisdom, strength and peace to do God’s will, whether the cancer was a death sentence, or just an inconvenience. I can only say that from the moment of making this prayer, I have experienced a profound sense of peace that is beyond my understanding, and the thought of cancer has never troubled me for a moment. I only made this prayer once, then it changed to giving thanks for another day of peace.
Cancer might be a worrying process, you wait a month or two for appointments, you wait for the results, and you wait for more appointments. I have never once prayed for healing, at the age of 62, the prayer for healing seemed too complicated, it might or might not be my time to go. Recognising this profound sense of peace comes from God, gives me reason to be thankful.
On reflection, I sense that the peace I experienced possibly helped the cancer go away. I have heard that worry and stress can exacerbate medical problems.