Good morning…

When I shared lunch with my longtime friend Julie Harlan on Thursday, February 16th, the word “cancer” did not enter our meaningful conversation. The next Tuesday she had her annoying symptoms of reflux checked out medically, and by Thursday she was given a shocking diagnosis. Stomach cancer. On Saturday when I visited her at home to listen, talk, and pray, she had already set her sights on the positive power of biblical promises. She had begun filtering out negatives, negative people and negative perspectives, negative foods and negative fears. She visualized resting in our Creator’s care, our LORD tenderly lifting her from beneath into His healing light, and her fully trusting in God, who possesses the power to heal whole.

Julie has walked the hard steps of the past six weeks totally dependent on the power of God. In fact one friend recently said, “I walked with Julie last week and I felt like my feet were on the ground and she was walking on a higher plain, walking in faith, walking in peace, walking in complete trust, carried by God.” Julie’s husband Chad has also been lifted onto this higher plane. He wrote the following words in a CaringBridge post this week.

“Last night, our 10 yr old son Charlie asked me why God allowed cancer to invade our family and Julie’s body, and how could He allow this to happen. Coming off an all-nighter in the hospital with Jules, I don’t know that I was totally prepared for that one. But here is what we talked about and it’s something that continues to come up in conversations with our family and friends as EVERYONE wonders how this rare form of cancer could happen to a healthy, fit, selfless, God-loving, awesome 41yr old mother and wife (with zero cancer history in her family I might add).

I shared with Charlie the following: that cancer is not of God, and that He didn’t wish this disease on Julie or command it to invade her body. There is unfortunately evil and sin in this world (and as a result, disease), and there has been since the beginning of time. Cancer is pure evil – God did not create it or plan for millions of people to suffer from this disease. God gave us free will so that we could enter into a relationship with Him and with other people. If He controlled all of our thoughts and actions, how could we ever perceive him as a loving God or a heavenly Father?

Charlie looked at me a little confused, and I said, ‘how would you like it if as your dad, I controlled every little thing you did and everything you thought, and you had zero freedom, would you be able to love me and would you think I loved you?’

He said, ‘Of course not, Dad. I get it.’

So then he asked me what free will had to do with cancer. So we talked about Eden and the original sin (an unfortunate result of free will), and how when sin entered the world, disease also entered the world. And how while God did not create this situation, he will continue to show us His love throughout and will make good out of a tough situation.

Shockingly, Charlie was completely satisfied with this explanation, and our conversation gave him great comfort. He then said, ‘Dad, I just wish Jesus would come back to Earth now so everyone could live in heaven. But I hope that I get to stay young in heaven, because it would really suck to be old and not to be flexible.’

Kids have an amazing way of creating unexpected and often hilarious pivots in the midst of serious conversations. I asked him if he thought he was more flexible than I am, and he laughed, and said ‘Are you serious?’ So after reminding him not to use the word ‘suck,’ I schooled him in a flexibility contest and he decided it might be ok to be 40 after all.”

Such life-giving wisdom does not enter our daily conversations without God’s Holy Spirit gifting it to us, ordinary people like Julie and Chad, you and me. When the unexpected challenges of life…take you and turn you over…do not worry beforehand about what to say, but say whatever is given to you [by God] in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit [who will speak through you] (Mark 13:11, AMP).

…Sue…