An Unexpected Report
Many of you remember hearing about my battle against stage III breast cancer back in 2010. At that time, I underwent a mastectomy and chemotherapy. Throughout the five years that followed, there was no additional signs of cancer, and Ken and I were overjoyed when my doctors declared me cancer free in 2015.
But last week, I got a different report. A biopsy showed that I have a cancerous tumor near my ribs —the size of a pencil eraser. Next Monday, November 26, I will be undergoing an outpatient surgery to remove the growth. And I’m asking you, my faithful friends, to pray. Although this new diagnosis surprised me, I know that God is sovereign and he loves me dearly. Whatever new – dare I say – adventure God has set me on, I know that he is holding me tightly in his hands and I trust him completely (I keep singing Kristyn Getty’s song, “He Will Hold Me Fast”). After all, if he loved me enough to die for me, then he will hold me fast through this new trial. And with it, he will give me new grace.
So dear friends, pray for Ken and me as we prepare for the surgery and recovery ahead. Pray that this new challenge becomes a platform for showcasing how amazing God is. And I would love for you to share this news with your friends and family, asking that they, too, pray – yes, pray for healing, but also pray for the many new doctors and nurses we will meet (including secretaries, technicians, aides, and janitors), all who need to hear about Jesus!
–Joni Eareckson Tada
Pressing On: How to Lean on Christ through Suffering
After more than 55 years living with quadriplegia and chronic pain, Joni Eareckson Tada knows what it means to “press on” through suffering. Joni encourages you to join her in living out Philippians 3:14: “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
