Joni’s Cancer Announcement
Hi, I’m Joni with a message that’s urgent… and very personal. Often, in our times together, you’ve heard me reflect on my battle back in 2010 against stage 3 cancer. Eight years ago I underwent a mastectomy and chemotherapy treatment. After that, things settled down and after five years, I was declared cancer free in 2015. But now… that’s changed.
Last week, I underwent tests for a small nodule which, over time, developed over the site of my mastectomy. After biopsies, my doctor discovered within the nodule, a small cancerous tumor the size of a pencil eraser. Needless to say, my husband Ken and I were surprised – after all, I was supposed to be cancer free. But as I said, that’s changed. And so, I want you to know that I will be undergoing outpatient surgery to remove the cancer next Monday, November 26. And the reason I’m telling you all this, is because I want you to pray. In fact, please feel free to share this news with family and friends so that we can garner even greater prayer support.
I want you to know that when I received this news from my doctor, yes, I was surprised, but in the next instant I relaxed and smiled, knowing that my sovereign God loves me dearly and holds me tightly in His hands. What good is it if we only trust the Lord when we understand His ways? That only guarantees a life filled with doubts. So, even though I don’t understand this new, dare I say, adventure, I can trust my Savior. If He loved me enough to die for me, surely He can be trusted even with this new challenge, this new cancer. Besides, I am inspired by the many valiant people with disabilities and their families that we serve every day at Joni and Friends; these are people who constantly persevere through personal challenges each and every day. They do not doubt God’s glorious purposes for their lives; why should I? Jesus is ecstasy beyond compare and if new hardships draw us closer to Him, I’m more than content with it.
When others heard this news about cancer, a few inferred that, wow, quadriplegia, your earlier battle against cancer, your chronic pain, and now this new cancer that just cropped up? Isn’t God pouring on too much? But I know that the cross God gives us is not one inch too long or one ounce too heavy to bear. With every new trial, God gives new grace. And I know that you, my friend listening, are convinced of that, too. So! I’m asking you to share this news liberally with one condition: that you ask your friends to pray. Pray that God will be glorified through all of this, that He will be extolled and exalted; that this new challenge becomes a platform for showcasing how amazing God’s grace is. And of course, that my surgeon shows great skill in surgery. After all, we want him to ‘get it all.’ One more thing. For more details, please visit my Facebook page as well as the Joni and Friends Facebook page for updates and prayer needs. Thank you for joining Joni and the Joni and Friends’ team in asking God to use this next, new health-challenge to advance His Kingdom among those who need His hope and grace. Thanks for listening… and thanks for caring.
If you are searching for an eternal hope in the midst of your own troubles, grab a copy of Joni’s recently re-released book, Heaven: Your Real Home… From a Higher Perspective. She reminds us that “Every good thing God has given you will last for all of eternity – including the best part of every affliction.”
© Joni and Friends
