Page 1 - Good News April 2019 paper
P. 1
“He sent forth His Word and had used two mirrors to look at
healed them; He rescued them her dental work, and in doing so
from the grave” (Psalm 107:20). she found a dark spot on the roof
of her mouth. Concerned, she
“It's malignant melanoma,” the made an appointment with her
doctor said. “You have five weeks doctor, who announced, “I'm
to live.” She was thirty years old. afraid I have some bad news, but I
How could this be happening? want another doctor to confirm
She had so many plans. Giving my diagnosis.”
up a career to stay at home and
raise her children, she looked The second consultation revealed
forward to each day that she the worst. The doctor sat down
could give them - teaching them next to her, put his hands on her
how to read, playing games and knees and said, “It's malignant
baking their favourite cookies. melanoma, and it's not treatable
because of where it's located. We
And now this. can't remove it all, and we can't do
chemotherapy. We'll do surgery
All that she had planned would right away to cut out the spot and
come to an end in only five hope that it doesn't spread. The
weeks. diagnosis isn't good, JoAnn. You brother and I were going to be could recall from her childhood.
have five weeks to live.” raised without her. Then they “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall
My mother was going to lose her started making arrangements for not want. He makes me lie down
life! Mom and Dad went out for dinner her funeral. They quickly put in green pastures, He leads me
that night and had the gut- plans in place for how to handle beside quiet waters, He restores
After visiting the dentist, Mom wrenching talk about how my the next five weeks. my soul… even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow
One item left on the back burner of death, I will fear no evil”… Then
was the importance of prayer the anaesthesia kicked in.
during this time. Mom had
become a Christian only the year When Mom came out of surgery,
before and didn't fully understand the doctor said she would be in a
how important prayer was or how great deal of pain and wouldn't be
it worked. As she tells it, “This is able to eat solids for several
the part where God carried me days. Miraculously, within an
when I didn't know what to do on hour of her surgery she ate a
my own.” complete meal of solid food. The
doctor was shocked - and that
On the morning of her surgery, wouldn't be the last time!
before she left for the hospital,
Mom's friend, Neva, called and A few days later, Mom went to the
read Isaiah 43:5 over the phone. doctor's office for a post-ope-
“Do not fear, for I am with you,” rative check-up. The surgeon,
the verse said. Mom clung to that normally a man with a harsh
Bible passage all the way to the bedside manner, quietly came
hospital and through the halls to into the room, sat down beside
the operating room. Once there, her and said, “I can't believe what
she quietly and repeatedly recited I'm going to tell you. There's only
Psalm 23 because that's all she Continued on p. 7
Continued on p. 7
