Has God Abandoned You in Your Cancer?
When cancer strikes we can feel spiritually alone and question the presence of God.
We wonder is He’s real? Has he left us? Is He mad and ignoring us?
It’s easy to feel abandoned and we long to be sure God is not just real, but near.
We wonder if there’s any tangible evidence that God hasn’t left us? Whether we be certain of his presence and affection, strengthening our faith against any assault?
I’m so thrilled to introduce to you today’s Chemo Chair Chat guest on today’s podcast episode. It’s none other than speaker and author Michele Cushatt. She’s a three-time head and neck cancer survivor as well as a parent of “children from hard places,” and so she’s an expert – all be it a reluctant one – of trauma and pain. Despite all she’s been through she’s utterly convinced God is with us in the midst of all we’re going through and she’s going to share how you too can be certain of his presence in your cancer journey.
In this episode, Michele shares her incredible story of God’s goodness and faithfulness to her in the midst of her pain and suffering, and she gives her insight and wisdom in these tough questions that we face during tribulation.
Is God real? And, if He is, is He good?
Because I know people are asking “if He is real and good?” and “I am going through this painful cancer journey, then where on earth is He? It feels like he’s abandoned me.”
The pain that people experience with cancer is unrelenting and unbearable, but it is so important to remember that God intentionally entered into the human experience, and that experience is one with pain.
God intentionally left the perfection and glory and joy of heaven to put on human flesh for one reason: and that is because He loved us.
The fact that He chose pain on our behalf helps us feel less alone because He knows pain and suffering.
Pain is part of the human experience, but God is closest in the places of pain. So the question is this: is He enough for me? Pain happens with or without God, so we can remember that we are not alone.
Why do we need to build an arsenal of evidence of His love and presence now?
We are promised hardship, so we need to prepare our arsenal with God’s faithful goodness. We need to have evidence of God’s reality now so that when pain blinds us to His goodness, we can look back at the evidence and remind ourselves of the truth.
Look at God’s credentials and know His character so that you can trust He is good. When the unexpected comes, we have His proven credentials on hand.
As always, I want to end with our our guided prayer practice with the acronym TRUST.
Thanking Him for who he is and what he’s done. Resting in his love. Unburdening our hearts. Surrendering our hopes, fears and needs. Taking Him at his word.
If you haven’t already, you can download your own copy of our TRUST prayer practice on a beautiful book mark below!
Finally, I would like to close with an exercise that you can make your own and take into the week. Michele has given us such a practical action step that we can immediately apply. Next time you go into a cancer treatment, doctor appointment, or time of suffering, bring an index card with you with someone else’s name on it that you can pray for.
This reminds you that you are not alone in your suffering and that we can share in one another’s burden.
Want to hear more from Michele?
For the truth-seekers, those drowning in impossible questions, and those who find themselves swallowed up by the dark, Relentless is an invitation to search for divine presence in our everyday stories. With Michele Cushatt’s engaging narrative style, this transformational journey provides biblical authority and modern story to illuminate the historical proof and reassurance that God, indeed, is with us.
Or listen on Apple Podcasts.
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If you haven’t already, download your TRUST prayer book mark HERE so you can pray along with me and pray with more confidence and less doubt in the week ahead.
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