Linda Lee

I'd like to introduce you to Linda Lee. She is also a member of Evangelical Community Church. Her daughter, Sook Lin, is my GP and so helped refer me to the gastroenteroligist at Box Hill hospital, which initiated the diagnosis process.

Linda was also recently diagnosed with advanced cancer - in fact, in the same week of my own diagnosis. The church has rallied around her in prayer, just as they have rallied around me.

I met up with Linda Lee and her family last night. Linda is the primary caregiver for her husband, who has dementia, and also the core of the extended family. This is what has made it especially hard for them, since if Linda dies at this time, the family is not only left grieving but is also struggling to fill the gap that Linda has left.

One of the things that came out of our time together was the simple but significant realisation that God is doing a deep work in all of our lives - much deeper than just the act of physical healing. The physical act of divine healing can be gradual, but often takes just a moment in time (in other words, if it was just a matter of physical healing, there is no reason why it shouldn't happen immediately). However, the deeper work of maturing (see James 1:2-4) cannot happen in seconds, or even days. It is a process of God, not an act of God.

Sook Lin agreed with this and shared how the Lord had been challenging her from Luke 11:5-13. Like the man in the parable, Sook Lin has been knocking on her friend's door and not giving up. In other words, faith has an element of perseverance, a tenacity that simply will not give up.

This is sometimes hard for us to understand in this day and age. We live in a world where we expect instant results - even communication that takes 2-3 days is now called "snail mail"! We also tend to compartmentalise our lives - so that there is a "family compartment", a "work compartment", a "church compartment" and even a "God compartment." And so when we face a crisis, we often don't understand why God doesn't answer straight away. After all, we are taking our "prayer pill" regularly, as the Bible tells us to. And we are doing our "faith exercises" every day, like a good Christian. But God is drawing something out of us - something which has eternal, not just temporary, value. And this is where, I believe, the "hungering and thirsting" (that I mentioned in my previous post) comes in.

I also shared 2 Corinthians 1:9 with them:

"Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead."

As hard as it is to face a crisis like this, there is a confidence we can have that God "who raises the dead" is at work in our lives and that he has not abandoned us.

One of the things that I encouraged Linda to believe for is that "daily word" from the Lord. This is what nourishes our spirit - inspiring our faith and consolidating our hope. And this has been my experience. Each and every day, I receive a specific word from God for that day. After all, Matthew 4:4 says:

"...Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."

We prayed together - I for them and they for me. We prayed not just for healing, but also for a continual strengthening from the Lord.

There are many others who are experiencing what I'm going through. There may even be those in your church or school or neighbourhood who have cancer or some other life-threatening illness. I am no one special. I'm not a unique candidate for prayer. Can I encourage you to reach out to those around you? Will you "comfort those in any trouble with the comfort [you yourself] have received from God" (2 Corinthians 1:4)? Please continue to pray for Linda - and also for so many others who are facing the same physical crisis, but without the spiritual support.