My Father's Healing

Cancer. It's an ugly word. I can tell you that a cancer diagnosis at age 25 wasn't in my plan for my life, but then again, it's not my plan that matters; it's God's. I know that I'll never forget that day and the many painful and frightening days that followed, but I do believe that it was all part of God's plan for my life, and as almost 8 years have passed, I can truly say that healing has come in many ways. I am blessed that my melanoma was caught early and had not spread to lymph nodes or organs. Each scan, MRI, x-ray, and blood test since has come back clean, so I know that my body is healed, but there is something left that no doctor can heal, and that's where I need my Father's healing. Every bump and lump, every headache or strange pain, still brings fear, a reminder that I am not yet fully healed. God has come through for me time after time, and I am ashamed that I am still slow to believe he will do it again. So the verses from both Isaiah and Phillipians which asked me to "forget what is behind" and to "not dwell on the past" really hit home. One of my very favorite bible stories is of the faith of the bleeding woman.
12 years of bleeding. I can't imagine the pain and despair this woman felt, yet I find myself envying her. Her faith, her belief that just a touch of His cloak would heal her. Jesus' words to this woman, "Daughter your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering," (Mark 5:43) are the words I still long to hear.