Dana's Christian Journey

musings of a thankful cancer survivor

Author: Dana

  • tale

    —

    Dana

    This summer, a good friend told his family that I was scheduled for another stem cell transplant to fight cancer. That night his oldest child prayed: “And God, help Mr. Dana with what he’s going through. May he live to tell the tale.”

    Five-year-old John prayed in church this past Sunday and thanked God for answering his most frequent request. “God, thank you that Dana’s mustache has come back and help him get all the way better.”

    Tuesday we met with the doctor at Emory and learned that the cancer count in my blood is now zero! We praise God and thank the youngest to the oldest for all the prayers offered on our behalf. My parents were in town Tuesday to pick up my youngest brother and his family who were flying in from Africa for their missionary furlough. They all got to celebrate with us. A father and mother’s love never dwindles… no matter how old the child…

    So I’m trying to figure out what ‘tale to tell.’ What does God want to do with us? The cool possibility is that ‘our tale’ can be ‘His tale.’ Will I give Him full invitation? Will I present myself to Him with no restriction? “Here I am. I have come to do Your will.” These were Jesus’ words to His Father as He came to earth. A perfect attitude led the Son to make “Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant.” Oh to be like Him…

    Oswald Chambers wrote: “As long as you maintain your own personal interests and ambitions, you cannot be completely aligned or identified with God’s interests. This can only be accomplished by giving up all of your personal plans once and for all, and by allowing God to take you directly into His purpose for the world.”

    His tales are grander than anything we can even dream about… so let’s see what the future holds.

    “This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” John 21:24-25

  • guide

    —

    Dana

    This past weekend I got to hang out with several teachers who are leading short term mission trips this school year. The prayer is: “Guide us, Lord, as we take these young people to serve others in Jesus’ name.” A couple of nights ago, I got to be with parents of junior high students who are raising children in a dangerous world. The prayer is: “Guide us, Lord, as you have entrusted us with these precious children.” I know of a senior in college who is in the midst of making important career decisions as he prepares to graduate. The prayer is: “Guide me, Lord, in the way you want me to go. I need you to make things clear.” I have a good friend who has recently learned of health issues that will impact him and his family in unknown ways. The prayer is: “Guide us, Lord, down this uncertain path. Protect us from fear and harm. May you receive glory in our lives.”

    It helps to hear the testimonies of those who have gone before. The mission leader who tells of God’s faithfulness encourages the one who has never led. Parents whose children are grown can encourage parents who are in the midst of the challenge. A man or woman who tells of God’s providential hand in bringing fulfilling work can bless the young person who wonders if he’ll ever find a job. The believer who has walked through the valley can say with confidence, “Fear no evil for God is with you. His rod and staff will comfort you and, by faith, you will bring him glory.”

    Jesus promised an even greater blessing than the encouragement of brothers and sisters. “If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him or knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you… When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also must testify… But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you… But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking what is mine and making it known to you.” (See John 14-16)

    During the mid 1700’s, a bright young Welshman was planning a career in medicine. One Sunday morning at church, the Lord moved so mightily in his heart that William Williams knew he needed to go a whole new direction. For forty-three years the Holy Spirit gave this man songs, poems, and sermons that went throughout Wales as God brought a mighty revival to the land. Here’s one of his songs that is still a great prayer: “Guide Me Oh Thou Great Jehovah”

    Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah, pilgrim through this barren land;
    I am weak, but Thou art mighty, Hold me with Thy powerful hand;
    Bread of heaven, feed me till I want no more;
    Bread of heaven, feed me till I want no more.

    Open now the crystal fountain, whence the healing waters flow;
    Let the fiery, cloudy pillar, lead me all my journey through;
    Strong Deliverer, be Thou still my strength and shield;
    Strong Deliverer, be Thou still my strength and shield.

    When I tread the verge of Jordan, bid my anxious fears subside;
    Bear me through the swelling current, land me safe on Canaan’s side;
    Songs of praises I will ever give to Thee;
    Songs of praises I will ever give to Thee.

    “No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse. Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” Psalm 25:3-5

  • 100 days

    —

    Dana

    On March 20, 1815, the feared general Napoleon took power in Paris in what is known as the Hundred Days. Meanwhile 150,000 troops from five countries marched to end his rule. At the end of the hundred days, the famed Battle of Waterloo took place and a defeated French conqueror was sent into exile.

    Stem cell transplant patients are taught to anticipate one hundred days after the transplant as the time to evaluate success. Of course, no one wants a Waterloo. Sunday is my hundredth day, so Monday afternoon I go back to Emory for all the medical tests (I’m studying hard).

    Our nursing-school daughter, Kinsey, asked if I’m worried about it all. I asked her, “What good will it do?” I’m just so thankful I’m feeling better. My energy is returning, my appetite is back, I’m able to teach again, and I get to hang out with my family and many people I love. Don’t take ‘normal’ days for granted; treasure and use well the gift of ‘time’; tell people you love them; and give thanks to our Father in Heaven who loves us more than we can imagine.

    It will be a couple of weeks before I can share results. Thanks for so many prayers and words of encouragement!

    “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?… So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be added as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 5:27-34

  • sit, walk, live

    —

    Dana

    One of my students wrote: “I want to learn to be closer to God in my everyday life.” An unknown author wrote a similar desire in an old spiritual:

    “Just a closer walk with Thee, Grant it, Jesus, is my plea.
    Daily walking close to Thee, Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.”

    Throughout time, perhaps more now than ever, the busyness and pace of society works against us, yet Jesus still invites: “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

    So, can a teenager or a young adult or a middle-aged adult or an old adult unplug the i-pod, turn off the cell phone, shut down the computer, switch off the television and sit down with Jesus? “As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’ ‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘You are worried about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken from her.’”

    Is it really so simple? “Only one thing is needed… ‘Me’.” If I will resist the distractions, quit worrying about so many things, and spend time with Jesus, he can teach me to walk and live. “So I say, walk in the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature… If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law… The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control… Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” (Gal. 5)

    Jesus teaches us to walk close to the Father, just as he did on this earth. He also gives us the greatest gift, the Holy Spirit, to enable us to live in fellowship with God. Fellowship with the Father produces fruit, freedom, light, and life. “Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.”

    “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

    “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” I John 1:5-7

  • hinder

    —

    Dana

    What hinders us from getting close to Jesus? My friend Harry, who has lived with his wife Dagmar in Jerusalem over twenty years, recently shared lesser-known details of the story of the woman in Mark 5 who fought through the crowd to reach Jesus. “Do you know it was unlawful for the woman to touch Jesus or any other man? According to Jewish law, she was bleeding and therefore wasn’t qualified to touch any man – not even their garments.”

    So, if the woman had asked for permission to get close to Jesus in order to be healed, she would have been denied. But Jesus knew the purpose of the Law… and he knew he had come to truly fulfill the Law and the Prophets. This woman was a ‘bruised reed’ and he would not break her. Matthew, quoting Isaiah: “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory.”

    Yes, there are many things that hinder us from getting close to God – sin, lack of faith, lack of knowledge – but the good news is that Jesus is able to overcome them all. He’s paid the price for our sin. He’s the Author and Perfecter of faith. He is the Source of all knowledge. His arms are open wide as he says, “Come!”

    God forbid that anything or anyone prevent man’s most important quest. Even well-meaning disciples can be a hindrance if comprehension of the Savior is too weak. “Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’ When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.” (Matt. 10:13-15)

    It is interesting that the very next story in Matthew 10 is of the rich young man who asked how to get eternal life. After witnessing the interchange between this man and Jesus, the disciples were really confused. Their Master had just welcomed children who had nothing to offer and seemingly rejected one who had everything. But Jesus had simply told a seeker the truth and the young man allowed his wealth to hinder him. Jesus then taught his followers: “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

    So here’s our answer: Many things can hinder a man or woman from getting close to Jesus, but nothing is impossible for God to overcome. Jesus says: “Come to me. Believe in me. Listen to me. Obey me. Cast your cares on me. Trust me. Love me. Follow me.”

    “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

Random Post

Categories

Archives