A slower pace in life, whether it be the result of an illness like cancer, or any kind of change in your life – can sometimes be for the better. It’s God’s way of forcing you to quiet your heart, unburden your mind, and surrender your restless will to him.
Diagnosed With Breast Cancer booklet, free offer link below:
Cancer really slowed me down. And I mean, really.
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and I pretty much keep my wheelchair on rabbit speed. I schedule times of rest, but my days are usually full and busy and fast. And so, when I developed stage 3 breast cancer in 2010 resulting in surgery and chemo, and then, when my cancer returned in 2018, it forced me to put on the brakes. And because chemotherapy weakened my already poor immune system, I had to stay home a lot. I couldn’t be around a lot of people. Well, one particular day when I was going crazy with cabin fever, a friend showed me Galatians 5:25; “Keep in step with the Spirit.” It seemed to be tailormade for me; it was clear that the Holy Spirit wanted me to take life in very small steps. It happens to anyone who deals with cancer. Life becomes basic and simple. It becomes slow and for me, that meant being on turtle speed – and no longer rabbit speed.
Just keeping in step with God’s Spirit did a couple of things for me. It made me pause and think about the end of my life. It made my days more precious. Things mattered more – like my family, close friends, prayer, conversations that centered on eternal things. Things like that mattered more, while other things quickly fell off my radar [like the nightly news, keeping track of emails, checking out sales]. A slower pace of life also brought my husband Ken and me closer. Many days we’d sit in the backyard, feel the breeze, and watch the finches in the bird bath. We found the simplest delight in flowers and dragonflies and bees on the rosebushes.
And a slower pace also brought me and my three sisters closer. At different times, my sisters flew to California to help Ken with my routines. And in the evening we would snuggle together in bed – watching BBC videos, sharing the same pillow, reminiscing about childhood days back on the farm in Maryland. We rehearsed everything that was important. And it never would have happened had I not slowed down because of my battle against cancer. I think the most important thing, is that we were careful to live intentionally. Spending time wisely. Was there anyone we should call? An old friend or someone who needed encouragement?
Psalm 46:10 commands us to, “Stop fighting, and know that I am God, exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.” Perhaps another way of saying that is, stop striving and use that time to know God, and know him better. Well, a battle against cancer is God’s way of forcing you to quiet your heart, unburden your mind, and surrender your restless will to him. He wants not only to be exalted among the nations, he’s heaven-bent on exalting himself in your life. Isaiah 30 goes like this – it says, “For the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said: ‘You will be delivered by returning and resting; your strength will lie in quiet confidence. But you are not willing.’” Well friend, don’t be numbered among those who are not willing, who want nothing to do with rest and quietness. The Bible says it’s your strength. And it’s a good thing to remember if you are struggling with cancer because October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. And I share all this and more in my booklet “Diagnosed with Breast Cancer.” I’d love to send you your free copy and for a friend maybe that you know who is in treatment for cancer. Ask for my booklet today at joniradio.org. Again, that’s joniradio.org. And no matter what you’re doing today, keep in step with the spirit.
© Joni and Friends