A couple years ago I wrote a 40-day devotional, called Beauty from Ashes.

This devotional was written with the hopes of encouraging you to trust God through your
cancer journey. To inspire you to fight – everyday, no matter what – to be the healthiest
version of you that you can be.

To never give up!

To commit to run your race with everything you’ve got.

Below, I share an excerpt from my devotional. I hope it encourages you!! If you
would like to purchase my book for yourself or a friend, you can do so here!

Day 9 – Unspoken Fear

“Do not fear, for I am with you” – Isaiah 41:10

I recently read a blog post written by the father of a baby who had undergone treatment
for infant leukemia. This form of leukemia is very rare, which makes treatment difficult.
The more rare the illness, the less understanding researchers and doctors have about it.
The less the understanding they have, the lower the survival rate.

As a mother, myself, I cannot imagine the fear one might have watching their child battle
cancer. I think it would be paralyzing. A million times over, I would rather be the one
with cancer. Chemotherapy, transfusions, and surgery are scary words. They are even
more scary when you consider them for your baby.

In his blog post, he said that his daughter would soon be finished with her treatment. This
is a milestone that many people celebrate. A simple search of “#nomorechemo” on social
media would bring up literally thousands of pictures of happy faces holding up handmade
signs. Yet, behind those smiles is an anxiety that many people don’t often discuss. When
treatment ends and the family is supposed to return to “normal life”, there is an unspoken
fear that grips them. Treatments can last for months. Sometimes even years. It consumes
your entire life. Every week is planned around doctor visits and treatment schedules.
Social situations are often avoided for fear of compromising the immune system. It’s
almost like living in a bubble for an extended period of time. Yet, as long as treatment
continues, they are fighting. They are doing something. When the treatment ends; when
the doctor’s visits are few and far between; when hair grows back; when life gets quiet;
anxiety appears. Waiting begins. Fear of recurrence takes center stage. How can you
resume a normal life when things have been so abnormal for so long? Is it possible to
move past this anxiety?

Sometimes God gives us battles that are bigger than us. Storms that are too big to
navigate on our own.  One of my favorite stories about Jesus comes from Matthew 8:23-
27. Jesus and his disciples got into a boat, and Jesus takes a nap. Imagine, God in flesh,
sleeping. I find myself wondering – did He snore? Did His muscles make funny jerking movements while He slept? What did He dream about? Regardless, while He was sleeping, a big storm came up on the lake and big waves swept over the boat. Even
though a number of the disciples were experienced fishermen, and storms were not new
to them, this storm must have been different. They were afraid. They could not navigate
this storm on their own. They needed their Savior.

When Jesus awoke, He asked them why they were afraid. He wanted His disciples to
know that as long as He was with them, they had nothing to fear. This same principle
applies to us, today. When we worry, we are looking to our own strength, rather than
God. God’s Word tells us that God has a plan for our lives. A perfect plan, which
guarantees us a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). We need not fear when the storms of
life threaten to sweep us off our feet. Jesus has us. As long as He is with us, we have
nothing to fear!

Father God,
Thank you for caring about every detail of our lives. Thank you for allowing us to come
to you when we are afraid. Help us to trust in you and to know that when the storms of
life come, you will be there to catch us. We put our faith in you and know that you are
bigger than any storm we will ever face.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

Journal Prompt: The opposite of fear is faith! Even faith as small as a mustard seed will
move mountains! What area of your life do you need to increase your faith? Pray and ask
God to help you! He cares for you!