Our youngest daughter—one of our four girls—was diagnosed with brain cancer in September of 2023. We’ve faced battles before, but this one was bigger than anything we ever saw coming. There were only subtle symptoms hinting that something was wrong. The night before her first MRI, I prayed against exactly what it turned out to be.
When we first learned about the battle set before us, we felt shattered, heartbroken, and full of fear. Anxiety about the future was—and still is—a daily fight. The day after her diagnosis, we were discharged from the hospital and headed home. Not for long, of course; her treatment was scheduled to begin the following week. Her first appointment with the radiology team was set for just three days later.
By the grace and mercy of God, a close friend had gifted me a scripture calendar a year earlier—Anxious for Nothing by Max Lucado. When we arrived home, our youngest daughter insisted on running to the neighbor’s house to join her sisters in a game of wiffle ball. My husband and I just sat there, lost. I was reaching for anything—begging God to speak to me. That’s when I noticed the calendar beside my bed. I hadn’t touched it in months. As I flipped to the date of her diagnosis, it was as if God spoke directly to me. It read:
“Do not be afraid or discouraged, for this is not your battle, but God’s.” —2 Chronicles 20:15
Instantly I felt Him with me—that no matter what was to come, He would not leave us.
It is important to remember: He will not send you into battle alone. God will be with you every step of the way. Deuteronomy 31:8 says, “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Did you know “Do not be afraid” appears in the Bible 365 times? God often repeats Himself, especially when it truly matters.
He already knows every detail of the battle before you. He is not surprised by it. Take comfort in knowing He is for you, not against you.
As you begin your battle—and all the way through it—I want you to remember that no matter how devastating it feels, you serve the God of the impossible. Fourteen verses in the Bible remind us of this. Here are a few:
- “For nothing will be impossible with God.” —Luke 1:37
- “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” —Matthew 19:26
- “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” —Genesis 18:14
He has you. Keep your faith, and don’t let anything man says override what the Lord has promised you.
Believing His promises, reading His Word, and memorizing Scripture—so you can pray it back to Him—are so important. These habits strengthen not only your relationship with God but also your faith. The Bible says in Matthew 9:29, “Because of your faith, it will happen.” We will go more in depth on this in upcoming blogs, as it becomes an instrumental part of your battle. Your faith will be tested over and over again. God has been gracious enough to allow me to learn tools that help me hold onto my faith, even in moments when my heart has felt shattered.
I am not an expert, and I don’t have all the answers. But I have felt the Lord pushing me to share our story more lately. So here it goes—I am still learning every day. We are still in the same battle, but we are so blessed that she is thriving and that we can see her healing.