Very Good News

Many of you have joined my family in prayer for my dad, as we were told two weeks ago that he has prostate cancer. He went in for a biopsy last week and was told that the results would show whether or not they caught the cancer early enough.

It has been a long, tedious two weeks as we've waited for the results. We have prayed over and over again for the Lord to heal my dad and to bring glory to Himself in the process. I have cried lots of tears, afraid of losing my daddy. Cancer is a scary word. Lots of people have told me that prostate cancer is the easiest of cancers to fix if you catch it soon enough. That's really encouraging news, unless it's your big strong dad that has it.

I've never seen my dad afraid of anything. I've never heard a nervous sound in his voice. He embodies confidence. He tried to put up a strong front for us, but I know he was scared. I could hear it in everything he wasn't saying.

And so we prayed. Prayer is our main strategy. That is something our PBT president has been impressing on us again and again. It applies not just to ministry, though, but to life. I believe this with everything I am.

I have been witness to the Lord's power again and again in my own life and in the lives of praying men and women around me. It may sound trite, but prayer changes things - not because we have some ability in and of ourselves to make things happen or because we have a special "in" with the "man upstairs." Rather, we serve a gracious God and One Who delights in giving good gifts to his children. I don't know why God chooses to answer some prayers in the way we ask, while answering others with a "no" or a "not now". This is one I struggle with still . . .

My dad was supposed to have an appointment today to get his biopsy results. The doctor called him before his appointment to tell him they were 99% sure he DOESN'T have cancer! They want to send him for a second opinion since he does have an abnormality that could be precancerous, but they are confident it isn't cancerous yet!

I don't know exactly how my prayers were answered. I don't know if my dad had cancer and the Lord healed him of it. I don't know if the first lab tests were inaccurate and now that they've done further testing they see he's cancer free. I don't care how it happened, I am just rejoicing tonight that my dad has another chance at life.

Although we haven't told Addy the details of "Papa's" health, I have told her that he wasn't feeling well and we needed to be praying for him. She has done so regularly for the last two weeks. When I told her today that God answered our prayers and made Papa well again, she starting singing, "Go Jesus, go Jesus, go Jesus!"

My sentiments exactly, little one.

Thank you Lord.