Decades had passed. Our daughter’s life was a daily testimony to what God had done. Those years following were constantly changing, filled with adventure, very turbulent at times and witness to an event that brought me face to face with the fact that I had no real relationship with God whatsoever. For someone who was a Bible college graduate, who had taught in a Christian school for years and had served as a missionary in Africa this was quite disconcerting to say the least.
In the spring of 2006 I determined to know this God Who had wrought such an incredible miracle, for Whom I had labored (especially to be accepted), yet, in terms of historical fact I fancied I knew so much but in terms of relational intimacy I pitifully knew so little. I pursued Him all that spring and summer. The context and perspective of that search culminated during September 8-9 in a powerful, intimate, delightful way that I look forward to sharing at some future date.
But within that 24 hour period between the 8th and the 9th everything changed and began to change. (I realize that sounds a bit contradictory but experiences with God are seldom one and done.) It seemed as though I was starting over and it was wonderfully amazing. Within the context of you, the reader, and me and our trip together looking at the intrusions of cancer, there was the unfolding reality that God is outrageously, scandalously in love with us, does, in fact, give us gifts and delights in having us partner with Him in having His kingdom come to earth so that things here can be as they are in Heaven. The eradication of cancer would be a part of this divine partnership.
(At this juncture I want to, at least, acknowledge the question, “If God is so loving and powerful why doesn’t He just wipe out cancer?” Please allow me to address that during the next intermission.)
For a few years preceding that important summer of 2006 I had been attending a church, that while not nearly as strict and controlling as the others I had been a part of it still held a very narrow view regarding the gifts and was nebulous about humans partnering with God except for prayer. This is the contextual stage that is set for the second cancer encounter on our trip.
I was playing bass guitar in a band that led worship in our children’s church. I was told that the father of my friend who played drums in the band had had two operations for a tumor in his brain. These proved unsuccessful and because of the aggressive nature of this tumor and some, otherwise, fatal effects of attempting a third surgery, he was told there was nothing more medical science could do.
During the subsequent time, following my extraordinary rendezvous in September, I began reading everything I could get my hands on concerning Holy Spirit and the gifts. One such book, by Kenneth Hagen, had a profound, provocative affect on me. Though I had no mentor or example with which to guide me, I suggested that four of us, the drummer, his father, a pastor friend who was just beginning to explore the things of the Holy Spirit and me, get together and pray regarding the cancer.
Armed with a small vial of olive oil, as much faith as a novice with no healing experience could muster, a willingness to say, “Yes”, to God and little else, as the others stood by, I put some of the oil from my fingertips on his forehead and told the cancer to go away because Jesus’ beating provided his healing; that the Cross was all sufficient for his miracle. It was all quite simple and only took a minute or two at most. There was no pressure; after all, this had never been done amongst us four before so there was nothing to match or beat. We just did it . . . unrehearsed. Unknown to me at that moment, he was scheduled for an MRI the next day in Chicago.
In a couple days we heard the results: the MRI showed him to be cancer-free! I was dumbfounded then and even now as I recount this. There is absolutely nothing ordinary about taking part in a miracle: human partnership with God in bringing Heaven’s realities to Earth; more specifically to people, all of whom Jesus gave Himself for.