For about a month or so I’ve been walking with a brother (in Christ) who recently was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. (If you or your family members need to know more about the stages of cancer, click here). When he got his diagnosis he was like a deer caught in the headlights…stunned, fearful, numb. I was the same way my first time; to a lesser extent the second time. It’s very understandable and natural to have these reactions. Things can get even more “dynamic” when you tell family members. They may take the news harder than you. But eventually we have to move from reaction (which is all emotion) to response.

Below are some steps you can take to walk through this “crisis”.

The practical: For your first few trips to the oncologist, take someone with you. You will need a “2nd set of ears”. I guarantee that you will miss half of what the doctor will say. The “2nd set” will pick up most of what you miss. When you get back home, you all can fill in the blanks and compare notes.

(I was joking with a friend of mine one time and told him that my head was so much in the clouds that the doctor could have been reading my Miranda rights instead of my test results; I wouldn’t have known the difference. 😊)

The spiritual: Isaiah 26:3 – 4 are powerful scriptures. Keeping your mind on Christ is really the only way you can experience peace in this time. You will have to go back to Him several times a day. There will be battles with your emotions, but eventually His peace will prevail. Pray, read and listen to the Bible, play uplifting music, call a prayer partner.

You can overcome this trial because Jesus overcame (John 16:33). Victory through this is yours.

Stay tuned for more practical steps in “Walking With A Brother”.