Kim: "I'm thankful for breast cancer."

I wrote the following and posted it on my Facebook page on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 2013. As of today (11/30/2013), it has received 138 'likes' and 36 comments. I'm so glad that God is using Kim's story to encourage others.

 

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Earlier this afternoon, my family was listening to Christian contemporary radio in our minivan. In between songs the radio host said, “I’d like for some of you to call and tell me what you are thankful for that you never thought you could be thankful for.”

Immediately, Kim told me: “I’m thankful for breast cancer.” Let me tell you two main reasons why she was able to say that with complete sincerity of heart:

First, I have watched my wife intently to see what God was doing in her life and how she would respond. I have noticed that her grappling with the cancer and the radical surgery necessary to eradicate it drove her to her knees. Without a doubt, Kim has struggled with times of discouragement. "Discouragement" is really an understatement but if I had gone through what she's gone through, I would probably not have responded so well. Kim has recently started taking medication to help her manage the discouragement and hopes to be off it soon. But again, if it were me dealing with all she has dealt with in her life, I would probably be taking something, too!

Out of all of this, I have watched Kim rise once again more beautiful and godly than when she entered the valley. A few days ago, she told me: “I feel so close to the Lord right now. I’m enjoying time in His Word and in prayer. I don’t want this to go away.” As I have observed her and listened to her become completely transparent, I love what I see God doing in her life. Even though the breast cancer wasn’t pleasant and the surgery and recovery was even worse, what it has done in her life is incredible. For that, she is thankful to God for the breast cancer.

Second, as we ran up our medical debt with the breast cancer debacle, we approached the end of the year and realized our deductible had been met. Because of that, Kim decided to have a colonoscopy. She had no reason for having that procedure except that she was approaching the age when she would need to get one and since our deductible had been reached, she might as well do it now.

Kim and I went to the Vanderbilt Medical Clinic in Nashville yesterday for the initial visit with the surgeon. They did another scope and took pictures. When I came back into the room, the surgeon held up a picture of the mass inside Kim's body and said that if Kim had not had the colonoscopy, the pre-cancerous mass would almost certainly have become cancer. The surgery required at that point would have been much more radical with long-term unimaginably undesirable effects. It was a great thing that she had the colonoscopy! Why did she have it? Because she had breast cancer!

We have seen God work through the details of this whole thing. We could get stuck in doubt or anger and ask, “God, why do You keep allowing these things to happen?” However, while we’ve asked that question more times than we care to admit, we’ve realized that in our particular situation there is a more appropriate response to our God: “Heavenly Father, THANK YOU for working overtime in the details to get Kim the care she needs well before these problems got out of control.”

Our God is awesome!!! Have a Happy Thanksgiving!