The Culture of Hope Founded on Faith

It’s All About Heaven

After more than two years of battling Merkel Cell Carcinoma, 24-year-old Hayden Crebbin Palm struggled with the very human considerations of denial and malaise. On November 3 she wrote in her blog, “…I’ve been trying to ignore God. I’ve been staying distracted and really kind of lazy. Spiritually I haven’t wanted to grow, or be convicted, or put in the effort with God. I’ve been hiding behind the simple distractions in life and the excuse of being weary from cancer. Ah but God won’t let you stay there, no sir. That tugging at your heart, that conviction you feel when you are looking to Netflix to comfort you when you know you should crack open your bible. It’s more work, it’s not instantly mind numbing or gratifying, but it’s the better way. It’s hard for me during this season of cancer …I have tried to numb the confusion and anxiety of it all by distracting myself and staying in a form of denial.”

After planning her own funeral with her husband last week, however, she stood by the plot of land in which her body would be interred. Later she wrote, “That plot of land is not my forever home. My home to come is far better than anything I will ever be able to imagine. And because of that I was able to stand there, under the shade of the tree, next to my grave, and thank Jesus.” (“The Merkel Miracle”, http://themerkelmiracle.com/2017/11/03/planning-my-funeral/)

Her body died Tuesday, but her soul went to Heaven to be with Jesus because of her faith in His finished work on the cross. God didn’t have to extend His mercy to us and offer salvation through the sacrifice of His beloved Son, Jesus Christ. But He did. In the Bible we are given snippets of final, irrevocable judgment and eternal punishment in Hell for those who do not believe in the remedy for sin that He has given us. We also have a clear picture of what God has in mind for those who, by faith, have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. 1 Peter 1:3-5 says,

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fades not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

We do not know when our lives will end. Hayden knew she had very little time to live because the chemotherapy, having given marginal help at best, no longer worked at all.  But most of us haven’t a clue when we will have to face God and answer His question, “What have you done with my Son?” Before it is too late, please ask Jesus into your heart if you do not already know Him. How do I do that, you ask? The Bible says to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved (Acts 16:31).

It is hard for Dan when someone else dies of cancer, especially one so young. It’s called “survival guilt” and he wonders, “Why am I still here and she is not?” The simple answer is that God has not finished His work in and through Dan, or any of us who are still alive. There is still ministry and service for God that Dan is meant to carry out. And when he is ready for Heaven, then God will take him home just like He took Hayden when she was done with God’s work here on earth.

Speaking of Dan’s cancer, we now have to wait for insurance approval before we can proceed to the course of infusions every other week that will be our schedule for the next however long this takes. The doctor remains optimistic about being able to defeat this with immunotherapy…but it is, after all is said and done, in God’s hands.

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Prayer Request: We are still waiting, a sometimes hard place to be. Please pray for the insurance company to move quickly to approve the treatment. Also, pray for us to recognize incapacitating anxiety and to quickly cast our cares on Him so that we remain in the center of God’s peace.

 

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