Joyce Herr - Praising God in the Valley: Lessons and Other Blessings in the Journey Through Cancer

Praising
God in the
Valley

Lessons and Other Blessings in the Journey through Cancer

JOYCE HERR

Copyright 2021 Joyce Herr.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by
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Scripture marked (KJV) taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture marked (NKJV) taken from the New King James Version. Copyright
1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (TLB) are taken from The Living Bible copyright
1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of
Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-6642-1664-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-1665-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020924821

WestBow Press rev. date: 01/11/2021

This book is dedicated to all those fellow travelers

who are walking through the valley.

My prayer is that God will use this book to bring you

encouragement, hope and peace in your journey through cancer.

With gratitude to:

All my family and friends who supported me
with their love, encouragement, help

and prayers during my ongoing journey through cancer.

My daughter-in-law Carrie, my daughter Cathleen, and my
granddaughter Rachel and her husband Matthew, who stayed
with me and cared for me when I was unable to care for myself.

My daughter Laura who provided lots
of TLC, encouragement, and

especially for her companionship mixed in with a
delightful spirit of fun on treatment days.

My niece, Joyce Howard, an oncology nurse
and instructor, who patiently

answered many of my questions about cancer, and
provided invaluable insight and advice.

To my wonderful friend, Kim McAinsh
who persistently encouraged and

prayed for me in the process of writing this book.

The team of volunteers from my church, Harvest
New Beginnings Church in Oswego, Illinois

for providing meals during my weeks of treatment.

My Sister and Me Ministries for a wonderful care gift package.

The Prayer Shawl Ministry of Faith Lutheran
Church of Arlington Heights, Illinois

for a beautiful crocheted prayer shawl.

Most of all, I want to thank my dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

for His abiding presence and unfailing love, strength,
and hope as I walk through this valley.

Contents

For your love and kindness are better to me than life itself.

How I praise You! I will bless You as long as I live. Psalm 63:3-4 (TLB)

A new chapter in my life began in March, 2017. This new chapter is about a journey that God has been leading me through, a journey that began the morning when I heard, for the first time, the diagnosis that everyone dreads and hope they will never hear CANCER.

At times this journey has lead me through some deep valleys with dark and threatening shadows, finding myself in need of a courage and source of strength beyond my own to be able to press on. There were other times, when I have needed it most, that it has felt like I was being lifted up from the dark valley below by Gods strong and loving arms to soar to the mountain top, where He blessed me by allowing me to see an incredibly majestic, glorious, and panoramic view of what ultimately lies ahead for those who remain faithful to Him.

Although there are many different forms of cancer - each comprised of its own unique set of symptoms, treatment plan and prognosis - that word cancer can often strike fear into the hearts and minds of even the strongest and bravest of people. Cancer is nondiscriminatory when it comes to things like wealth, position, power, status, education or ethnic background. No one is exempt from the possibility.

Often the immediate response from the patient, especially the first time they hear it, is unbelief, shock, fear, and uncertainty about their future. Their mind starts filling with questions like:

How will this new diagnosis impact my life, my family, my goals and my plans?;

How will the recommended treatments and related side effects affect my ability to do my job and continue to support my family?;

How am I going to get through this?

So many questions. So few guarantees. The bigger questions on their minds and hearts, even when left unspoken, may be, Will I die from this?, and If I die, where will I go next?

Many Christians are familiar with the bible verse found in Romans 8:28 (NKJV),

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Many Christians believe its true, yet when they or a loved one is diagnosed with cancer they may begin to question, or even doubt, how this disease could possibly work for good. When their whole world, all they planned, seems to have been turned upside down, its often hard to see it early on. Thats when we need to accept by faith and trust that this promise is true, even though we dont yet see or understand how God will work this out for good. Though it may not be as clear in the beginning, if we remain faithful to Him it will probably be much easier to see the many ways that God actually did work it for good as we move further along in the journey.

Going through cancer in any form is never an easy experience. Yet, as I look back over the past three years, I have seen and personally experienced that the promise of Romans 8:28 is true. Through it all, I can praise God for what He has taught me in the journey, what I have learned from The Master Teachers hand. Life transforming, life enriching lessons about His faithfulness: to supply my needs in every situation; to comfort my anxious heart and give me peace in the storms of life; and to help me face and overcome the fear of death itself, by reminding me that the best is yet to come.

I can also praise Him for the many unexpected blessings in the journey: for the outpouring of love, prayers and support of family and friends; for providing hope, always when I have needed it the most and sometimes coming in very unexpected ways; and, most of all, for the timeless encouragement and comfort found in His Word, the bible.

In writing this book, I was especially encouraged and inspired by one of the most beloved and comforting passages in the bible, the 23 rd Psalm that has blessed countless people through the ages: