My Mother's Journey - Part 1

Over the next weeks, my mother (Bunty Collins) will be sharing her own journey of prayer and faith, from the moment she first heard the news of my cancer.

Here is the first installment...

On the 14th of December, Paul and I were driving from Sydney to Newcastle on our way to celebrate an early Christmas with our daughter, Rebecca, and the grandchildren, as they were in the process of moving back to live in Thailand. We had been waiting to hear the results of David's tests and when, while on the way, the mobile phone rang, I knew immediately it would be David.

As I was driving, Paul answered the call. I couldn't hear what David was saying, of course, but I knew the results by the quiet way Paul was responding to what David was saying. I knew it was cancer. It's hard to describe the effect the news was having on me. As Paul listened and responded, it was like a tight blanket covered my heart. I could say nothing.

Before proceeding to Rebecca's house we had arranged to meet with some friends who wanted to take us Christmas shopping. We arrived at the mall but all I wanted to do was to get away, alone. My heart was crying out, "I need to hear from you, Lord. I need to hear from you."

Paul went with our friends while I found a quiet spot in a coffee shop. I reminded myself of the word the Lord had so clearly given me the time David had had a tumour behind his eye, back in 2000-2001, and at that time too it had been a life or death situation. The promise, found in John 4:50, had been clear but simple:

"Your son will live."

It had been such a real word spoken to my heart then. And like the man who heard those words in John 4:50, I "took Jesus at his word." I knew my son would be all right. And he was. The operation to remove the tumour was a total success.

But I needed to hear from the Lord for this present situation. As I prayed in the coffee shop, tears quietly falling, all I could say was "I need to hear from you, Lord".

When we arrived at Rebecca's, she had already heard the news. We got alone and hugged one another and wept together. We then went through the motions of celebrating Christmas with the children.

Two things occupied my heart and thoughts the following few days after we arrived back home - the desire to be with David and the constant cry to the Lord: "I need to hear from you, Lord." Tears of agony had now begun to flow. Then, as I prayed, the account of Hezekiah came very strongly to me. In 2 Kings 20:1-11, the Lord's response to Hezekiah's desperate plea became the Lord's response to my own cry:

"I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal [David]..."

Faith began to rise in my heart. I was now hearing from the Lord. And every time I prayed, the account of Hezekiah came more and more strongly to my heart.

In the next few days, I will share more with you about how the Lord continued to speak to my heart, addressing both my fears and my hope in Him, and bringing an unshakable conviction of that God will be glorified in David's life.

Click here for the next installment: My Mother's Journey - Part 2