After losing my father to cancer, I've always been afraid of getting cancer myself. When my youngest son was just an infant, I found a lump in my breast while nursing him. Fear immediately took control over me. I was to afraid to go to the doctor. I couldn't bear being told that I had cancer. I cried for weeks on top of weeks. My family was about to go crazy, but no crazier than myself. I felt like I wanted to just go ahead and die and get it over with. I didn't want my family to have to watch me suffer. I didn't realize at the time that they were already suffering just from me being so terrified. Finally, after about 2 months, I got enough nerve to visit the doctor. Before I left I was on my way to see a lady from our church to let her know that I was going. On my way to her house, God gave me the song "Have Faith In God". This lady that I visited told me that it was God telling me to put it in His hands and not to worry about it. So, I got to the doctor's office and had to wait a while to be seen.
That was ok though, God had taken the fear away. Finally they called my name. I told the doctor what I had found 2 months back. He checked me, told me he would be back in just a minute and left. Fear tried to rise, but I kept calling on God. In just a short while the doctor returned and told me that it was just fibroid cyst. I left that office on cloud nine. It was short lived though. Satan attacked me from every angle. He told me that the doctor didn't know what he was talking about, that he didn't do a mammogram. Fear took over once again. Again I cried. A few days later,while in separate rooms of the house, my husband Ronnie and myself were praying about this. I asked God to help me because I couldn't live like this anymore. Unknowing to me, Ronnie asked God to send him a sign that I would be alright. When I asked God to help me, I heard what I thought was Ronnie, walk to the door of the room I was in and at that time I felt God's presence very strong. At that time I quit thinking about myself and started praying for everyone else. At the same time, Ronnie heard what he thought was me go to the door of the room he was in. He had just asked God for a sign. He said he also felt God's presence then and just knew that all was well. After we were done praying, I asked Ronnie if he came to check on me. He said no and asked why. I told him I had heard him. He told me that he had heard me go to him. I told him no, it wasn't me. We both knew then that God had visited us in our time of need and that our prayers had been heard and answered.
It's been seven years now, and I'm still here. Oh, the lump is still there, but it's just a reminder of what God has brought me through. One day I was driving down the road, this lump was bothering me and I said, "God, I know that you have healed my body of whatever Satan was trying to do, so why does it still hurt at times?" God answered and said, "Cheryl, as long as it hurts, you call on me. If it takes it hurting to keep you near me then it will just hurt." Each time it bothers me now, I can look back and see where I had gotten off track. And each time I know that God is just a prayer away.