For some people, attending church and practicing religion may be a mandatory duty that is imposed upon them by their parents. Some people may have even been baptized as babies and have gone through the necessary steps dictated by a particular denomination of religion but not truly comprehend or appreciate the meaning behind the process. For instance, I was not forced to attend church or practice a religion growing up. I was however aware of the church, religion and the existence of God and Jesus Christ, but I did not truly understand the magnitude or significance of what it all meant. It took going through a catastrophic situation that presented the possibility of dying in my 20s for me to truly understand the magnitude of prayer, faith, and hope to be able to embrace God with all my heart and soul.
In my mind, being diagnosed with cancer and the high probability of death, presented a choice to either seek out God during my most difficult times or turn my back on God for forsaking me with this illness. When faced with my mortality, I turned to God and I prayed to God for healing and guidance. At the same time, I also questioned why I had been forsaken and given this terrible illness, why me. Through my prayers and conversation with God, I felt closer than ever before and I felt God’s presence at the pivotal points in my cancer journey. At the beginning of my cancer battle, I did not know what the outcome would be so I decided that in choosing God as my Lord and Savior, I should make a move that illustrated this decision. I recalled the story in the bible where Jesus chose to be baptized as an adult man. I felt this was something that I should do too, therefore, I decided to be baptized as an adult. I felt it in my heart that being baptized was the right decision for me. It was my decision as an adult and I chose God! I was baptized on March 1st which has now become my 2nd birthday in life. I was reborn as a child of the Most High God through my baptism where I feel that I received my salvation. Exactly one year later on the 1st anniversary of my baptism March 1st, I was given the most extraordinary news I had been praying and hoping for since my cancer journey began. I was finally cancer-free! God saved me from the death sentence dictated from cancer and gave me salvation by becoming cancer-free.
If you are experiencing happy moments, praise God for these moments, and during quiet moments, worship God for his blessings. On the other hand, during difficult seasons, seek God for his healing and guidance and during painful times, trust God’s plan.
#Salvation
Cancer: The Upside 