Reliance - It's all that matters

Reliance – It’s all that matters

My wife was getting pain in her breast for the last 6 months. Two months ago, she could feel a lump that was small and tough to zero in on. 2 weeks back it was big and painful, I researched and saw that if the lump pains then it is not cancerous. She was insisting that she wants to get a sonography done so that the unrest in her could be calmed. Unwillingly I conceded to her request.

When she came back from the test, she was distraught because the radiologist had told her that the image was not looking good. The doctor said to get a mammography done to ascertain any suspicion that arose. The mammography showed nothing, this kind of appeased me as I jeered at her and said that all that she was feeling was in her head. She still insisted that the mammography report was incorrect. Her friends told her to meet an oncologist to rule things out.

When she met the oncologist, he sided her and said that there is something wrong and that she should get a biopsy done. I felt that the doctor was instilling fear to achieve his targets. With a lot of persuasion, I agreed. The biopsy was painful but she braved it, before going to collect the biopsy report she confessed that it may be cancer (I was appalled). Her suspicion was finally rewarded when the biopsy confirmed that the lump was cancerous, she needed to do a PET scan to ascertain the stage and spread of the cancer. Fear gripped us as we thought of the outcome. Suddenly life was the most precious gift. We started sharing the news in our family, local church and other peer groups for prayer requests. The PET scan revealed that she was having Stage 1 breast cancer which had not spread to the lymph nodes. Based on the PET scan the oncologist had asked for a breast conservative surgery to be done immediately else she could risk the tumour to advance to Stage 2

Few things caused me to panic

1)     Her life and the lifestyle changes that need to me made

2)     The surgery and further treatment costs

3)     I did not have a job for the last 4 months

4)     I did not have a medical insurance

5)     The COVID19 pandemic situation

6)     No family members could travel due to the pandemic who will take care of our daughter

The bible says that in Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight

The 4 important points here are :-

1)     We need to trust the Lord with all our heart

2)     We don’t need to rely on our understanding

3)     We need to submit to the lord

4)     He will our ways straight

I had a lot of bitterness creeping in mind seeing my current disposition. I don’t have a job and now this emotionally & financially draining moment. “Oh God why?” was evading my mind. Am I facing a dark endless tunnel here?  So basically, I did not abide by the 4 points mentioned above, no wonder I was in turmoil. My mind was a so-called minefield don’t know which step would be fatal. The aforementioned 4 points are a continuous cycle which when followed to the last letter will ensure that the Lord will make out paths straight.

But then looked back and pondered the life that had past and seen many a miracle that the Lord had performed. Those were also tough times but the Lord pulled us through. But this was far overwhelming than the others. These are also unprecedented times. Tough times for tough measures. For me the tough measure was to have a paradigm shift in my mind and to remove the eons old clutter that was in. To put into simple layman’s words, I needed to

1)     Change my worry into worship

2)     Change my fear into faith

3)     Change doubts into doxologies

It is difficult to walk on the three literally but in doing so it really unlocks a peace that actually transcends all understanding. It is surreal.

So, I applied the 4 points in my spirit

1)     We need to trust the Lord with all our heart – I told my wife that we need to trust the Lord.

2)     We don’t need to rely on our understanding – I knew that as per the human understanding the situation looked bleak as we were struggling to thrive as it is. But will God all things are possible to those who believe

3)     We need to submit to the lord – We started trusting in the lord and gave out burdens onto him. Matthew 11:28-29 says

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am [a]gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. This are amazing verses with amazing promises. His yoke is light and he will provide rest for our souls. That was the need of the hour

4)     He will our ways straight – We believed that the Lord will pull us through.  Luke 1:37 says

For with God nothing shall be impossible

Following is what happened when the 4 points came into action

1)     Our Local church urged our brothers and sisters to start donating money for the noble cause. This was met with a very generous welcome with people sending in money sacrificially even though the lockdown situation was prevalent with people getting lower salaries

2)     The admin of local Facebook group (having almost 35000 members) contacted my wife and asked to start a crowdfunding campaign and that she will assist to get further reach. After we opened the campaign for the first few hours nothing came still, we trusted that God will make a miracle happen here. Following hours were like manna from heaven. People started donating unceasingly. The people organizing the campaign were shocked and my wife said that this is the glory of god. They also believed that God is great. A great evangelism for our living God.

3)     My wife comes from a YWAM background as soon as she informed her friends, we had a wave of prayers and donations

4)     People even reached out to the hospital’s higher management to ensure that all the logistics is taken care of. They also want to partner with the doctor to commence a cancer awareness campaign with my wife as the ambassador. He was completely overwhelmed

5)     Our local society also felt urged to take a donation for us

All the above only signifies the supremacy of our God. Trust me in all situations he is under control. You just need to follow the four steps and he will make your paths straight. We received unsurmountable blessings from God. Far beyond our wildest dreams, this is his unconditional love he has for those who believe in him. It makes my heart break that how can I doubt such an amazing and loving God.

My wife’s surgery was successfully completed and she was discharged the next day, I had complete peace when she was being operated because of his promises and that countless brothers and sisters were united in prayer for their dear one. She still has some challenges to face to ensure that there is no relapse. But we face this challenge with the hope and promise that our living god is El Shaddai.

One of the biggest positive I take out for the paradigm shift in my mind from the spirit application of the 4 points is now I see positivity amongst negativity. Just name a few below

1)     She had cancer – God alerted her through the pain in the lump and through visions which eventually averted a disaster had the cancer spread

2)     She had over reliance on her family to assist her but now she has realized that God is the only true ally we have. He is never changing and awesome in power

3)     Through this cancer incident she has reached out to many unbelievers who indeed testify to the amazing miracle. She is now a living testimony of the grace and mercy of our God

4)     I have learnt to cast my burdens onto him rather than subdue myself with it

5)     Our daughter is trusting on the Lord more than before

Life was never meant to be a bed of roses with God has promised us that he will never leave us and never forsake us. For even cancer has no victory. 1 Corinthian 15:55 says :-

"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"

We can say that in confidence as our Lord Jesus Christ has conquered death himself. Death is only an event that passes us onto an everlasting life with our Lord and Saviour.

While I close, I would like to emphasize on the title of my word and that is Reliance. In life it eventually boils down who do we rely on. Do we rely on the prince of peace or the prince of darkness?  It is a matter of spiritual life and death

Matthew 6:24 says :-

No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money

Stay blessed and be a blessing

Your brother in Christ

Abhishek Almeida