Every Day Lived Since Cancer Is Sweet Victory
By Sharon W. Better
Thirty-nine years old.
Four children, ages 10, 11, 15, 17. A husband I adored. A much-anticipated vacation is a week away. A phone call with the message, “You need to see a surgeon. Your mammogram results are suspicious.” A reply: “We’re leaving on vacation in a week. Can it wait until I get back?” Silence. “No, Mrs. Betters, it cannot wait.” At that moment, Breast Cancer forcibly took our family on an unwanted journey into a foreign country.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month takes me back to those days, but, more than that, it’s an opportunity for me to review how God has redeemed the pain of those terrifying months. During my battle against Stage 3 breast cancer, I sometimes felt guilty that I could not joyfully say, “I’m thankful for the cancer because…”
“Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life?” – James 4:14
In time, I began to see the intangible gifts in fighting a cancer diagnosis. One of the best takeaways was a commitment to never take life for granted. Instead of saying no to a day at the beach because my to-do list was too long, I jumped at every opportunity to spend time with our little family. Cancer taught me that life on this earth is short, to make the most of every minute. James 4:14 came alive: “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”
It was the morning after my surgery that the Lord showed me the scripture, “I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you will know I am the Lord your God, the One Who calls you by name.” (Isaiah 45:2-3) And then the sweet promise from Lamentations: I will give you new mercies every day. Look for them. I knew God was not promising to heal me, but He was promising to send me love notes to remind me that He was always near, and I would never be alone in this battle. He knows me by name!
Little did I know that six years after my battle with breast cancer, I would need to remember the way God kept His promises in that battle when we faced the death of our youngest child, sixteen-year-old son Mark. How grateful I am for all those special family memories I might not have had if I had never had cancer. And for the faith lessons learned in the context of fear and the unknown. Friends and family taught me the power of community as they rallied around us during the six months of aggressive chemotherapy that often left me incapable of taking care of our children and home. Hearing the stories of those ahead of me in this journey encouraged me to channel all of my energy into fighting this deadly disease. As nurses poured cancer-fighting poison into my body, I imagined little Pac-Men chasing down and devouring the enemy cells.
Cancer taught me that life on this earth is short, to make the most of every minute.
One of the first things I did when I heard that diagnosis was to find a woman who had already traveled through the foreign land of cancer. I needed a guide – someone to help me navigate the maze of unknown terrain.
As we celebrated my last hospitalization and treatment when we learned a bone scan showed no signs of cancer, we knew we wanted to help others coming behind us the way those ahead of us in our journey equipped us to walk by faith in our battle to beat cancer and raise our family. So Chuck and I tell our breast cancer story in an hour-long interview where we transparently share intimate details we would have wanted someone to share with us. What makes this resource unique is that Chuck shares a husband’s perspective and how a husband can love his wife through this war for her health.
Our cancer journey and battling grief reminded us that God will not waste anything in our lives if we surrender each part to Him for His glory and purposes.
Every gift, circumstance, even shattered dreams, is an opportunity for God to redeem and transform into channels of His compassion, designed to help turn hearts toward Him. Cancer and the broken places of life remind me He means it when He says in Isaiah 61:3: “[He will] provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.”
We hope that through this interview and all of our free resources, we can come alongside you as you walk this new pathway. In our interview, you’ll hear some practical ways to take the terror out of the word “cancer,” and how to face your journey with hope and courage. It is our prayer that this message will be one more tool that equips you for the days ahead. If you or someone you know is battling breast cancer, perhaps our journey will help make their battle a little easier.
Scan to hear Sharon’s story and others: https://markinc.org/help-and-hope/category/Breast+Cancer
Our Gift To You!
Read Treasures in Darkness, a book by Sharon W. Betters, today! https://one-audiobooks.oneaudiobooks.com/treasures-in-darkness-audiobook
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