More Than You Can HandleSample

When the News Takes Your Breath Away

Have you ever gotten news that took your breath away? Me, too. 

A week before Christmas 2018, my world stopped turning with a shocking late-night call. I don’t remember many details, only a few terrifying words about our 35-year-old son, Michael. Words like “scans, extreme pain, lymph nodes, emergency surgery.” Within minutes, my husband and I packed whatever we could find and started the three and a half hour drive to Charleston, SC.

Christmas week and the weeks following were filled with doctor visits, sweet family time, world-class friends, and a couple of the scariest words in the English language: appendix cancer. 

As author Lysa TerKeurst puts it, “There’s no easy way to attach the word cancer to your world and not make all who love you cry.” 

Brilliant doctors at Duke University and MD Anderson assured us that the emergency surgery “removed the bad stuff," and that treatments would be an “insurance policy” for the future. Well, alrighty then.

Here are a couple encouraging things I noticed as this scary, unforeseen chapter unfolded. I hope they speak to you, too.

1. Tears are a really good thing. One day I mentioned Michael’s situation to a complete stranger, and out of nowhere, a flood of tears erupted. Half a box of tissues later, I finally caught my breath. The tearful pattern continued on and off all day. “Surely, I must be losing my mind,” I thought.

In a conversation with a dear counselor friend, I casually asked if he thought I was going crazy. Ever been there? He was so kind and compassionate to assure me, “No, you’re not going crazy. You’re a mom.” He went on to tell me that tears are actually a really good thing. 

All that to say, if you find yourself uncontrollably crying, full of questions, angry, or whatever you’re feeling right now, please know you’re not going crazy. You’re human! And tears are actually a really good thing. 

2. Don’t go it alone. If you have one person you can call day or night, you are truly blessed. After years of attempting to fly solo through grief, tragedy, and life, I finally recognized we were never designed to face the crushingly hard stuff by ourselves!

 One day, when I realized Michael had been battling intense treatment-related pain, I called up five Prayer Warrior Angel friends. Within moments, prayers from multiple states were being lifted, fearlessly, and out loud for the pain to leave his body. And it did!!

Hebrews 4:16 “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” 

The six months of watching Michael and his beautiful family face this giant were the hardest and scariest days our family has ever known. 

I am thrilled to tell you, Michael is now cancer-free and healthier than he has ever been. The Lord has given Michael, and all of us, an undeniable love and appreciation for life and family.

While I don’t know what you’re going through, I can assure you the Lord will be with you every moment of every day. He loves you and hears every single prayer you pray.

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TerKeurst, Lysa. “It's Not Supposed to Be This Way: Finding Unexpected Strength When Disappointments Leave You Shattered”. Nelson Books. 2018.