Before I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I was on a dark path, and I didn’t even know it. Life was busy. My husband and I owned a home renovation business and had four kids.

I was focused on making money and raising my family, but I was never fulfilled.

Somewhere along the way, I got caught up in the occult. I ran every decision through psychics and mediums. I checked my tarot cards for guidance.

I believed there was a “higher power”—but I didn’t know what it was.

 “You need to go.”

Then, two years ago, I scheduled a breast sonogram. I had never had a mammogram because I didn’t want radiation exposure.

On the morning of my appointment, I decided to cancel. My husband and I were going out of town for several months and I still had a lot to prepare.

Just when I was going to make the call, I heard a voice in my spirit say, “You need to go.”

As crazy as that sounds, it’s what happened! It seemed weird, and I thought it was probably my psyche, but I decided to keep the appointment.

Then I got lost trying to find the clinic. When I started to head home, I heard the same voice, “You need to go.”

So, I kept looking for the clinic. When I found it, I sat in my car thinking, “This is silly – I’m leaving.”

I heard the same voice again, this time very firm, respond, “You need to go.”

After this third command, I went inside.

The Bible in my kitchen

Long story short, I had breast cancer. Fortunately, it was not advanced, but it could have become so. I was still terrified by the diagnosis. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t sleep. I went to my psychics and mediums and read my tarot cards. Nothing took away my fear or gave me hope.

But… there was a Bible sitting on my kitchen counter. It had been there for months, and I’d never picked it up.

The Bible belonged to my youngest son. He had accepted Christ as his Savior two years prior, and someone gave it to him. He already had a Bible of his own and left this one in my kitchen.

After my breast cancer diagnosis, that Bible constantly seemed to be “looking” at me.

Finally, I picked it up and read it a little and put it down. I don’t know how many days this went on, reading Bible verses here and there.

How I found hope, strength and peace

Then one day, I pleaded to that unknown “higher power.” I said, “Whatever or whoever you are, please tell me.”

The same voice I heard before instantly said, “It’s me, and only me.”

I fell to my knees.

Somehow, I recognized in that moment that I was hearing Jesus. It wasn’t Muhammad or Buddha or anyone else.

It was Jesus.

I suddenly knew that God was real, and on my knees, I prayed, “Lord, I surrender my life to you.”

When I said that, I no longer felt fearful. I understood that no matter what happened with my breast cancer, it was going to be okay because God was in control of my life.

Healing and saving

One Bible verse that especially resonated with me was Jeremiah 17:14 “Heal me, LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.”

This became my prayer.

It could have been different

My treatment ended up being relatively simple. They were able to “scoop and go” and I didn’t need chemo. The cancer was very near my lymph node, but it was caught before it spread there.

This is significant to me because my doctor said that if I hadn’t gone in for a sonogram when I did, I could have had a very different outcome.

I don’t know why God chose to speak to me that day in such a dramatic way, but I am thankful He did.

I should also say, though, that I had a choice. I could have gone the other way and rejected the voice of Jesus, but I didn’t. I chose Him.

We can all have hope

I praise God every day because He not only healed me from breast cancer, but He also saved me from so much. He saved me from my sin. He saved me from the darkness in my heart caused by childhood trauma. He saved me from the lies of psychics and tarot cards.

I know many people’s cancer experiences are more complicated than mine, and I often wonder why God didn’t lead me on one of those difficult paths.

But no matter where you are at on your journey, we can all have the same hope because of Jesus.

Jesus loves us more than any other love we can ever experience. He waits for us to lean in and get to know Him.

It’s been two years since I fell on my knees in surrender, and my relationship with Jesus has made me the happiest I’ve ever been. That’s not to say I don’t have bad days, but I’ve learned to trust God’s plan for my life.

Advice for others

For those going through cancer without the hope found in Jesus, I encourage you to start reading the Bible.

Hearing God’s voice like I did that day is unusual, but He does keep speaking to me especially through Bible, which is God’s word. He can speak to all of us through this timeless source.

Pick it up and start reading! Once you do, you won’t be able to stop.

Ask God to help you understand what you’re reading. I didn’t understand it at first, but opening this book every day is how I stepped out of the darkness and into the light.

Jesus showed me that He loves me, and I want everyone to have the same hope I have. I want to shout it from the rooftops! Jesus’ love—there’s truly nothing like it.

 

For more about how to begin a relationship with God, see Knowing God Personally.

For more help on your journey, see Find Hope Now. 

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