Everything regarding my physical journey with cancer moved pretty swiftly after the diagnosis. There were countless appointments with my amazing oncologist, a Gallium scan, bone marrow aspirations, weekly blood work, CT scans, and in depth discussions of the appropriate chemotherapy and radiation treatment protocol. It was a whirlwind. I was diagnosed at the end of May 1997 and had begun chemotherapy by the end of June 1997.
Seemingly unrelated to what was going on with my health during this year, I had decided to rededicate my life to Christ and had begun attending a non-denominational church that taught the Word of God, more so than preached it. Upon learning about the cancer diagnosis, one of church friends put me in touch with a minister at our church who had battled cancer. Being a newly reborn Christian, there was a lot that I was still learning on my spiritual walk with God. My meeting with Minister Gibson was very powerful and illuminating. She shared these three things with me:
I needed to be under the spiritual anointing of the Word of God. She encouraged me to read every verse I could regarding healing. She gave me a small book by Kenneth E. Hagin called, “How to Keep Your Healing.” Her exact words to me, “You need to be dogmatic and tenacious in the Word.”
God is not a respecter of persons, but is a respecter of faith in His word. Meaning that God will provide every person with the opportunity to receive the blessings available through His plan of salvation. If He healed Minister Gibson, she assured me that He was able to heal me as well.
I needed to stop saying, “My cancer,” or “That I have cancer.” She explained the power of my words and the importance of not taking possession of the disease. Yes, the fact was I was diagnosed with cancer, but the truth was that I was already healed because of the blood of Jesus Christ. I needed to believe it and act like it was so.