Dear Friends,

This message is about events that occurred a week ago, but I was too overcome with awe and reverence to write about them until this week for reasons you will understand as you read. God is great and God is good! Blessed be his name!

I pull into the driveway late Friday afternoon.  It’s been a difficult week of transactions, meetings, contracts and conversations.

The rain is coming. The winter was dry, but now that March has come the gray clouds scud in off the Pacific full of water. I am glad to be off of the freeway before the storm hits. Southern Californians drive poorly in the rain.

I see a text has come in on my cell phone while I was driving. It is from my friend, Dr. Melissa Kidder.

She is four days out from a twelve hour Whipple surgical procedure to combat pancreatic cancer. Usually, this procedure would be performed in the early stage of the cancer if appropriate, but Melissa was diagnosed at such an advanced stage with metastasis to the liver that her condition was deemed inoperable. She had less than a five percent chance of living out the year. She has made it fifteen months now.

I wrote about her and her journey several messages ago.  An incredible 28 cycles of chemotherapy, radiation, her determination, and the fiercely faithful support and prayers of friends and family drove the cancer out of the liver and reduced its “markers” making the surgery a possibility.

I visited with her in her hospital room, Thursday evening. She was alert and cheerful despite post-surgical pain. The procedure had been a success.

The tissue had been removed with clean margins and there was no visible dissemination of the cancer. The preliminary pathology reports were negative for residual cancer cells.

Melissa was characteristically cautious. “We won’t know for sure until the final pathology report, but whatever it is, it is.” She said.

“The surgical oncology fellow dropped me by an article,” she said. There isn’t much research on patients like me, because there aren’t many of us. But the article shows that patients like me who have had the Whipple have a medium longevity of five years and the improvements and studies continue. So there you go!”

“There you go, indeed,” I replied. “You are going to see the milestones of your children’s lives. I believe it! I know that every day since June has been another step over the frontier of known medical knowledge about survival.

“We prayed each and every one of those days to see the dawn of the next day and I have never doubted you will make it. There’s a reason why I texted you Psalm 128:16 last week: “May you live to see your grandchildren.”

“Some days I prayed through tears when it was tough for you.

“I didn’t understand those tears at first, but I’ve learned you really can’t pray in intercession for another over time without stepping into their place. That means my gut wrenched with Jesus’ compassion for you. It was a new experience for a rationalist like me, but I wasn’t going to quit on you or the others holding you up.”

Melissa said, “It’s all grace. I knew the word and would use it, but until I experienced the need for grace and received it in answer to prayer. I didn’t know grace. Now, I do and I am so grateful I am choked up all the time, but they’re happy tears.”

“Me too,” I said. “Let me pray in thanks before I go.” Through tears, I prayed thanks for Melissa, her medical team, her supporters, and the good news.”

Now in the driveway, just at sundown, I read Melissa’s text­

Mark Reeves (her surgical oncologist) just stopped by my room again (he’d been here earlier this afternoon). Final pathology is back and he himself reviewed it as well with the pathologist.

NO CANCER WAS FOUND.

It hurts to cry my happy and grateful tears . . . but so worth it! So as Sabbath starts­my heart is literally overflowing with joy, thanksgiving and feelings of blessing. I have such insufficient vocabulary to express what I’m feeling.

Anyone who doubts God and the power of prayer doesn’t know the story of this journey.

I texted back­

Oh, Melissa!!! I just read this after I pulled into my driveway. I am texting you through tears of joy and relief. Life is the ultimate Sabbath blessing!!! He has heard our prayers and has healed your affliction. He has made you an instrument of His grace and a proclamation of His love and mercy. Praise His Holy Name! . . . Thank you for telling me. God bless you, Melissa! God bless your life and family! I so treasure your friendship.

When we agreed we would fight the cancer over a year ago, prayer was our weapon, but the Lord was our power. Praise His name! Happy Sabbath!!!

Melissa is now safely home, her recovery progressing uneventfully. Her friends and family continue to praise God and pray in gratitude.

Awestruck reverence has been the common reaction. Another physician friend texted, “Who says the Lord only worked in the old days . . .? This is so amazing! Praise Him for all His mercies.”

Loma Linda University is a place of faith. We believe in the best medical treatment and clinical science as instruments of God’s love for his children, but the care is deployed with prayer. In the corporate offices of the Faculty Medical Group, there is a painting of a surgery in progress with Christ standing behind the surgical team, giving his power and presence to their efforts.

Witnessing a “death-sentence” diagnosis be transformed into a miracle of life for someone we love and have prayed for daily has overwhelmed us with awe. None of us praying were “experts” on prayer, if there is such a person. We just prayed our love and our hope and faith grew along the way. God did this!

I thought about writing this message last weekend, but I was worshiping the God of miracles who healed Melissa and changed the rest of us in the process.

One nurse executive engaged in praying for Melissa described the experience­

As I read (your text) and the message from Melissa last evening, I can’t help but picture the Lord rejoicing with Melissa! I believe that He uses the story of others for the encouragement of others! I can’t help but think of the number of people who have been impacted by Melissa’s journey.

I know as I read the verses and prayers from you each day they not only reflected just what Melissa likely needed but others on the prayer chain as well. I know often the exact words or scripture I needed came during my own faith valleys or my doubt in Him in other circumstances. Often it was a scripture read long ago and tucked in my brain somewhere that was brought forward just when I or another needed it. Proof that His word is living!

He has told us that He works all things for good and this is a poignant example of that! Have been blessed to be a part of the prayer team (I was blessed far more than I blessed her!). What a gift!

I will say watching the journey and praying for her, whatever God’s will was (and is) to be has truly changed me! It has been such a demonstration of faith in Him and of the fierceness of true friendship and love!

I will end this message here, because what has happened is beyond words. With renewed faith, I invite you, “O taste and see that the Lord is good. Happy are those who take refuge in him” (Ps 34:8).

Under the mercy of Christ,

Kent

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