I have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and prayerful support in response to my post last week about my cancer diagnosis. Thank you for the scriptures, songs, prayers, and humor you have shared. I am reading and saving each one in a special file for this journey. It took some time to reply to each of you, and I hope I didn’t miss anyone.

Thank you for praying for my mother. My sisters, Kim and Teresa, and my brother-in-law, Stacey, met with Rebekah and me as we shared the news with her: I am scheduled for cancer surgery with reconstruction on August 4, 2025. She was shaken, but she took the news well. Then we prayed. Oh, we prayed. We worshipped the Lord, and His presence was so near. I am so grateful.

A friend asked me, “How are you processing this?” I told him, “I know that God loves me, and He’s got this! My wife, Rebekah, loves and adores me. My children and grandchildren love and adore me. Our extended family of siblings and their families love me. I have a church family that loves me, and I am blessed with so many good friends—not just acquaintances, but true friends. All of them are praying for me and encouraging me. I am drawing so much strength and encouragement from them. However, I hate having something growing in my body that I can’t do anything about.”

The tearful prayers of so many of you have been a healing balm. Earlier this year, I read a book by Nicholas Wolterstorff, a philosopher and passionate follower of Christ: “Your tears are salve on our wound, your silence is salt.” (Lament for a Son, p. 35). That quote captures the essence of, “Who is weak without my feeling that weakness?” (2 Corinthians 11:29, NLT). Thank you for your tears, your prayers, and your faith.

I don’t feed off my family and friends; I feed off God’s Word. “[Jesus said] People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4, NLT). I am strengthened as I worship and pray throughout the day. It is as though God has given me a special sense of His nearness during this time.

When I first learned of the cancer, I immediately thought of a conversation with a good friend who is deeply afraid of the “C” word. He once told me, “If I am ever diagnosed with cancer, I will simply leave and go far away to die alone. I don’t want my family or anyone else to see me like that.” I told him, “It sounds like you’ve read too much Jack London and not enough Bible. Run to the altar at your church with your family, friends, and church around you.”

You will find strength and encouragement when you humble yourself and ask people to pray for you. It is a great expression of faith in God as well as in your friends. Ask people to pray for your healing and recovery. Let them make the journey with you. Let them see the goodness of God manifested in your life.

Here a just a few questions to help you help others.

Are you building a community of friends and family that can walk with you through a tough time in life? Do you know how to build a circle of friends that you can trust with your deepest thoughts, dreams, and fear? Are you being that kind of a friend? Do you know how to pray for someone when they are suffering? Please feel free to reply if you want help with any of these questions.

Please continue to pray for a miracle. Ask God to heal so that surgery is not necessary.

Peace!