Post #2: Be Still and Know
April 29-May 4, 2026
Waiting for Pathology Report
There was a week between the surgery and the official pathology report coming back. It was a week of not knowing. They say the “not knowing” is the hardest part - that once you have a diagnosis, then you have a plan and can move forward. I agree with that concept, but I was thinking . . . in the bigger picture, not knowing the Lord would not just be the hard part, it would be make life quite literally impossible.
I am so thankful that I entered this season closer to Him than I had ever been. Some of that is a result of going through some valleys. When Johnny was fighting cancer, his go-to verse was " . . . we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." Romans 5:3-5
So for that first week, Johnny and I shared with only one other person. We didn’t want to tell our grown kids until we knew exactly what we were dealing with. I don’t like to borrow trouble so we didn’t want to worry them for no reason.
In a way, that week was special because I spent much of it alone with the Lord, El Roi, the Lord who sees. And I know he saw me and was carrying me. I had my usual quiet early mornings alone with Him and I walked with Him during those days. And I can truly say that He was sufficient. He provided what I needed when I had no idea what that was.
Once we had a diagnosis, we told the kids and then we told those friends who we know are prayer warriors. It was good to be still and know the He is God . . . and it was equally important to have our Christian community supporting us in prayer. (More on that later)
Don’t misunderstand. It wasn’t all roses and sunshine. It wasn’t easy to hear or wrap my head around. Physically, I didn’t feel any different than I did a week ago. The only difference was the knowledge that was supposed to make things better. Everything else was the same, but for me at that time, the knowledge was like a cumbersome helmet that I couldn’t take off. I knew I needed to trade that helmet for the Helmet of Salvation and remember that I belong to Him.
I have a good friend who battled breast cancer about 8 years ago. She once told me that when she was done with treatment and considered in remission, she had a kind of sadness about her because she worried that she would not be as close to the Lord as she had been during her cancer treatments. I get it. It is easy to be close to Him in the valley when you need Him the most. But we have equal access to Him who lives within us at all times.
LESSONS I’VE LEARNED
James 1:2-3: "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness."
I was listening to The Message on SeriusXM the other day and the DJ said, “The pain that brings you closer to the Lord will always be better than the comfort that keeps you from him.” I think there is something to that, but it makes me wonder why we wait for the pain to draw near to Him when we can have the fruits of the Spirit even when things in the world are going well for us.
We should build our relationships with Him so when we need Him, he is already close. We recognize Him, His voice. We already know His promises. We know how to live by His Truth. And when a valley comes, we walk through it already connected to Him.
And in case the “El Roi” reference caught your attention, below is a list of the many names of God. I use these in my praying to Him. They reflect all that He is to us. I thank Him for that.
Abba – Father
Adonai – Lord
Alpha & Omega – Beginning and End
Christos – The Anointed One
El Deah – God of Knowledge
El Elyon – The God Most High
El Olam – The Everlasting God
El Roi – The God Who Sees
El Shaddai – God Almighty
Elohim – The Creator
Yahweh – I Am/Lord, Jehovah
Jehovah Jireh – The Lord Will Provide
Jehovah Mekoddishkem – The Lord Who Sanctifies
Jehovah Nissi – The Lord My Banner
Jehovah Raah – The Lord My Shepherd
Jehovah Rapha – The Lord That Heals
Jehovah Shalom – The Lord Is Peace
Jehoval Shammah – The Lord Is There
Jehovah Sabaoth – The Lord of Hosts
Jehovah Tsidkenu – The Lord Our Righteousness
PRAYER
El Shaddai, God Almighty, you are the everlasting One who sees. Thank you for all that you are to us: our provider, our healer, our banner, our righteousness, our peace. You are the Beginning and the End, the God Most High. Lord, we rejoice in our suffering because we know that You are ever-present in the valleys with us and you carry us always. We have hope only in You, Lord. Thank you for your faithfulness towards us, your steadfastness, your mighty love. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
