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A path through cancer and healing, to helping others.
by Julie Pierce
I was asked recently
to share about my prayer life at The Service of Prayer for Healing; I
suspect because I am a cancer survivor – twelve years out. As I thought
about my prayer life, I began to see it through the major events of my life;
from a small child kneeling at bedside through to the present time. I had
never reflected in quite this way before; it was very powerful to see how
God has been so present over my lifetime. How grateful I am to have been
part of a family who knew Him and who taught me of His love for me. How
different my life would have been without that assurance.
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Prayer has always
been a vital part of my Christian walk, but never in my life have I
leaned more heavily upon God through prayer, until when nine years
into my marriage I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Overnight, I
was thrust into an entirely unfamiliar and threatening world where I
was utterly alone except for Him. This was something no one could do
for me.
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I wanted so
desperately to
turn this tremendous burden over
to God. |
It
was during this time that I would sometimes have to physically hold my head
in my hands to force the feelings of fear and dread out. I wanted so
desperately to turn this tremendous burden over to God. And, at my lowest
points, I would lay in bed, holding my hands up offering it to Him. Yet,
when I woke, the burden was still with me. I began to pray in earnest again
and again for Him to take it from me, begging and telling Him I just
couldn’t carry it and still even when I thought I had freely given it the
burden was still there. I began to consider why I wasn’t relinquishing it
and through some soul searching, identified that it wasn’t so much that I
was afraid of death; I just didn’t want to leave my son, then eight years
old. He needed his mother; I was afraid for him.
...I felt the
encouragement
of so many
people, whether or not I knew them...
Rushing to the
mailbox each
day I was blessed
by so many special messages I'd received. |
I began to
scrutinize my son’s relationship with his father and realized that
though my being absent from his life wouldn’t be optimum, he would
be fine because theirs was a strong, solid bond; there was nothing
to fear. And then, one day the burden was lifted. I had peace of
heart about whatever was in the future. I had finally given it. I
knew that whether I lived or whether I died, God was with me and
with my family, and that everything would be alright.
There were so
many praying for me, everywhere I went, I felt the encouragement of
so many people, whether or not I knew them, it was so obvious I had
cancer. Family members came to know Christ in a more intimate way
through their prayers for me. My parents would travel from
Tidewater, move in for a week for each round of chemotherapy to
attend to my needs and support my family. My Sunday school class
sent so much food my dad would be disappointed to leave; calling to
ask what was for dinner after returning home! Rushing to the mailbox
each day I was blessed by so many special messages I’d received.
During the four rounds of chemotherapy, a gift bag full of those
cards got me through each four hour ordeal; those encouraging words
were then and continue to be absolute treasures to me. I would find
expressions of love at my desk, bottled water, a chocolate bar, a
special verse. |
Through the prayers, concern and encouragement of everyone else, God
revealed His love and concern for me. It was so uplifting! I began to see
the blessings of this experience, though it was so very difficult. And so it
became an attitude of gratitude… I was actually thanking God for the
situation I was in, praying and thanking Him for yet another day, yet
another event in the life of my small son. I am so grateful for having
experienced this because I have been forever changed by it. I believe
through life’s experiences God equips us, each one, to serve Him. He gently
nudges us towards a ministry of service. My ministry thus far has been a
very personal one of walking with those undergoing cancer treatments.
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When I see so
many dealing with this disease, it can be discouraging. For me, the
memories sometimes are more about the difficulties than the
victories, and I am overwhelmed with the emotions of not working a
full day for eight months, of laying in bed so sick and suffering,
willing myself to breathe. Of having to pull over to rest on the
drive from work the treatments were so debilitating and I was so
exhausted. In sharing with others, there are flashbacks to those
difficult days. In 2 Corinthians, Paul’s writings speak to
the tremendous power each of us has to express God’s comfort and
love to each other because we ourselves have experienced it from God
first.
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... I believe
God has been
preparing and equipping me for compassionate outreach. |
“Praise be to the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of
all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort
those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also
through Christ our comfort overflows”. 2 Corinthians, 1:3-11.
These verses have pushed me to do what I know God requires and what I want
to do in grateful praise and honor of Him. In focusing outward, God has
blessed me all the more.
During these 12 years since diagnosis, I believe God has been preparing and
equipping me for compassionate outreach. With the tremendous opportunities
of service to refugees who regularly arrive in the Richmond area, I have
truly found my ministry of service. In the past, I’ve hit and run through
many different ministry areas here at FBC - nothing has felt quite like
this. God has captured my heart for these precious people from all over the
globe. Perhaps because I understand how powerful hope can be; these people
arrive with little more than that – usually with only the clothes they are
wearing. Refugees are full of hope; they want nothing more than a friend to
help and guide them. They are hard working and want to succeed; the hopes
they have are no different from the hopes we have for our families - safety,
community, a place to belong, love…. God has brought them from foreign lands
to our shores and is just waiting for us to share His love. How easy is
that? The joy and pleasure I feel at helping them is immeasurable and a way
to give back in grateful appreciation for God’s grace in my life.
Julie currently serves with her husband, Warren as lay leader of Ministry to
Internationals – contact her for the many ways you can serve this vital
ministry at 323-9786 or
jpierce@imb.org.
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