Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: Proverbs 30:5 (04/20/23)
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TITLE: Impenetrable | Previous Challenge Entry
By Art Fahy
04/26/23 -
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I went through radiation for prostate cancer and once a year for the last five years, I was getting a CAT scan of my lower abdomen because of the cancer. The previous four years the scan came back negative. This fifth year I expected the same. The caller informed me I had a mass on my right kidney. An appointment was made for me to see a urologist in La Jolla, California for a consultation.
I passed the information on to my wife. The consultation was set up for the middle of January. Always the optimist she said it sounded like they found the mass early. The typical questions popped up in my mind such as will they biopsy? What if it’s cancer? The anxiety began to build.
I flew down to La Jolla to meet the urologist and have some questions answered. I walked into her office and was astonished how young she was. I scanned the room and was impressed with her diplomas. A photograph of the doctor, her husband and young daughter sat on her desk.
The doctor introduced herself as Dr. Irene Schmidt. She must have read my mind because she said, “We will not take a biopsy because if it breaks up cancer is floating inside your system. The plan is to cut the mass out and save the kidney. We expect everything to go as planned and you will be released the day after the procedure.”
The next day I received a call from the the scheduling office and the procedure was scheduled for three weeks.
Three days before the procedure I came down with the flu. I called the hospital and they said they would reschedule the appointment. The scheduler added I would need to be one hundred percent for the procedure and recovery. The procedure went from the second week in February to the third week in June.
This was a blow. I thought a lot can happen in those four months. My mind was gearing up to run rampant. I reined it in. I recalled the words that the Lord spoke to Joshua, “Be strong and of good courage, do not be afraid.” Joshua 1:9 NKJV
God brought me this far. He wasn’t going to leave me now. All throughout His Word God tells us He is with us. God is my shield and protecting me from all harm especially the arrows Satan fires at me. It was up to me to focus on my Almighty God and not the circumstances. The more I trusted in God the bigger my shield grew.
God’s word is not mixed with any other substance, it is pure. In this purity is strength and truth. This strength and truth spring from love.
The day before we left for La Jolla our pastor called and said he and his wife Patty were going to meet my wife at the hospital and wait with her during the procedure. I thought what a great gesture. My trust in the Lord was growing by leaps and bounds.
We arrived at the hospital and spoke with the doctor. She ordered bloodwork and they did another cat scan of my kidney. I tensed up when they told me the mass grew but they assured me everything would be okay.
The next morning I was wheeled into the procedure room. It seemed to be a blink of an eye when I woke up sitting on the edge of my bed and a nurse was massaging my shoulders.
Shortly after that my wife came in and told me what the doctor had said, “that they were able to remove the entire mass without damaging the kidney. They sent the mass out for a biopsy and if I felt okay I could leave the hospital tomorrow.”
“That’s it?” I asked.
“That’s it.”
Trusting in God is challenging at times but His word is pure. He is our shield. A shield nothing can penetrate.
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I will pray for God to help you and your wife through this time, as you await the results of the biopsy.
My friend just had this done, and her results were benign. She's doing fine and praying for you and your family as well.
Great testimony and entry which was certainly on topic for sure.
God Bless you~