Cancer has positively impacted even her relationships within her family. “My parents and I have become a lot closer,” says Rebekah. “I really look up to them a lot. My mom is my best friend. Before I got sick I used to argue with her every single day, and I wasn’t even home that much—but now we’re together a lot, and when I’m home, our house is the house that everyone hangs out at. My friends are over all the time, and they’re close to my mom too. And my dad—well, one of the hardest things about all of this has been seeing my dad cry.”
Rebekah’s older brother David is a source of encouragement too. Though she says they didn’t always get along well, “he wanted to skip his sophomore year at college so he could come home and be with me.”
These days, love seems to be coming from every direction. “My mom said it best,” Rebekah explains. “We’re more used to being on the giving end than on the receiving end. But I get so much love and encouragement from other people. It’s amazing to see people reach out and really care. I am so blessed.”
Her church provided Rebekah with a pager, and word of how to use it to lift her spirits quickly spread. Friends and strangers alike call the pager number and leave their zip codes so she will know that someone is praying for her. The pager goes off so frequently that she’s learned to keep it on “Vibrate,” but the messages come in a steady stream almost all day, every day. “My dad has a special code he puts in so I’ll know it’s him,” she says, “and my friends put their phone numbers in.”
A close family friend sends regular e-mails to share prayer requests for Rebekah and pass along news of her recovery. Sometimes Rebekah writes back. One day she wrote:
I just thought I would share something small I’ve learned with everything I’m going through. I’ve realized that you honestly CAN NOT live without talking to God every day of your life. My friends and the people by my side may help, but they can’t heal my hurt inside. But as soon as I talk to God or read the Bible, it’s as if I’m a totally new person! When I talk to God I have so much joy and go from feeling empty to feeling completely filled—and even thankful for everything I’m going through.
Although she’s working hard to get well, Rebekah is pretty certain she’d like to continue talking about the odd blessing of cancer whenever she can. “I want people to know that God doesn’t make mistakes,” she says with a smile. “Everything is the way it should be. God is there for you all the time. Trust Him. He’s there. Pray to Him. He’ll answer. I wouldn’t have known these things without cancer, and I love telling people about what I’ve been through, and how God is helping me.”
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also prove a way out so that you can stand up under it.
(1 Corinthians 10:13)
WEEK TWELVE JOURNAL
• When have you felt out of reach of God’s love?
• What does the Bible tell us about His love?
• How does this affect your ability to love yourself? Others? God?
• How do you see God using these stories to change your life?
• What Bible verse or passage of Scripture has been most meaningful to you this week? Why?
authors’ note
We authors would like to gratefully acknowledge the assistance of the many people who shared their stories with us. In particular, we want to say thanks to the good folks at Voice of the Martyrs, who put us in touch with many people and shared their stories.
If you’d like to be encouraged by the testimonies of today’s persecuted Christians, or if you’d like to learn how you can pray more effectively for your brothers and sisters in restricted nations, please visit www.persecution.com or call Voice of the Martyrs at 800-747-0085. Their free newsletter will bring you into the hearts and minds of those who are persecuted for the cause of Christ, and you can discover practical ways to stand with them. Your faith will never be the same!
F notes f
Week Three, Day 3
1. Letter to several nuns by Martin Luther, from Wittenburg, 6 August 1524. Translated from Johann Georg Walch, ed., Dr. Luther’s Briefe, Part 1, Vol. 21, Part 1 (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1903). (back to text)
Week Eight, Day 5
1. Steve Blow, “Deadly Visit to Iraq Leaves No Regret,” Dallas Morning News, July 18, 2004. Used by permission. (back to text)
about the authors
Australian-born Rebecca St. James has throughout the ’90s until the present had a defining presence in contemporary Christian music. With sales of her music soaring around the globe, her signature blend of modern pop/rock sensibilities and lyrics of unwavering devotion have blazed straight to the heart of an entire generation. A multiple Dove winner, her groundbreaking album Pray was certified gold by RIAA in 2005, joining earlier honors for God, which was also awarded America’s highest musical award—the Grammy. With a career track that has to date included seventeen top-10 singles, nine of them reaching #1 on the charts, she has in the last few years also been recognized as a bestselling CBA author with major books such as Wait For Me and SHE to her credit. Often called the “voice of her generation” in modern media, her impact has been diversely felt from television appearances ranging from Hannity & Colmes to the 700 Club. Rebecca St. James remains a passionate global spokeswoman for Compassion International children’s ministry. Find out more about Rebecca at www.rsjames.com.
Mary E. DeMuth is a freelance writer and novelist who lives in Southern France with her husband and three children. In addition to speaking, leading Bible studies, and enjoying worship, Mary assists her husband in a new church plant, reaching out to the emerging culture in France. You can find out more about Mary at www.relevantprose.com.
Elizabeth Jusino is a freelance writer, editor, and fan of the English language, with a special passion for writing for and about women. She is the former editor of MOMSense Magazine and managing editor for MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) International. She and her husband, Eric, live in Denver, Colorado.
Tracey D. Lawrence is a freelance writer and founder of Scribe Ink, Inc., serving ministries and organizations with writing and curriculum needs. She has written for ministries such as Chuck Colson’s BreakPoint, the Wilberforce Forum, Promise Keepers, and Focus on the Family. Her latest release is Playing God: Facing Everyday Dilemmas of Biotechnology, featuring Chuck Colson. She lives in Denver, Colorado, with her husband, Noel. Tracey can be reached at [email protected].
Leigh McLeroy is the author of Moments for Singles (NavPress, 2004) and a contributor to seven books including Romancing the Home, Everywhere I Go, and Been There, Done That, Now What? An accomplished writer, speaker, and Bible teacher, Leigh makes her home in Houston, Texas.
Donna Wallace has spent thirteen years studying and teaching on university campuses. She is a licensed minister of education with a master’s degree in theological studies, and she loves speaking, writing, and guiding retreats about intimacy and identity development. Donna has written a dozen books and has several more on the way. She and her family live in Bozeman, Montana.
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