The previous November I had received the diagnosis that, at the age of 44, I had breast cancer.
The shocking news propelled my family and me into a rollercoaster of mixed emotions.
The warning was given that the next few months would be rough, and we soon discovered that the medical staff had not been exaggerating.
However, as Charles Dickens wrote in the opening sentence of A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times”.
Gems Of Experience
Yes, it was hard and there were many dark days, but through it all there were gems of experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything.
I will never forget the incredible feeling of being so loved and supported by my family. But more than all that, what kept me going and gave me an overwhelming feeling of peace was the knowledge that people were praying for me, to a God who loved me.
Real Relationship
When I was seven years old, I put my trust in Jesus Christ to forgive my sins and since then I have had a personal relationship with Him that is very real.
I know without a doubt that, no matter what, He loves me.
He proved that by going to the cross and taking the punishment for my sins. He deserved no punishment for Himself, as He was the sinless Son of God, but in love He took mine and therefore was able to forgive me.
I am not naive to the fact that statistically I am less likely to reach old age than those of my peers who have never had cancer; but the reality is, that when my life on this earth is over, my life in heaven will start.
We Will All Die
We will all die sometime - it’s an indisputable fact.
But, according to the Bible, we will go on existing somewhere for eternity.
The stark warning of the Bible is that, without faith in the Lord Jesus and the forgiveness of sins, that eternal existence will be in hell, not heaven.
Sin cannot be in heaven, so, without your sin being forgiven you cannot be in Heaven.
Good News
God has provided a way for you to be with Him eternally.
The Bible tells us that,
“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—(1 Timothy 1:15)
“God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”—(Romans 5:8).
By accepting that you are a sinner, trusting that what the Lord Jesus did in His death on a cross is enough to forgive your sins, and coming to Him in repentance, you can be absolutely certain, like me, of God’s gift of eternal life.
Which means that on the other side of death is heaven.
And more than that, you can have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus now and know the peace, in all the ups and downs of life, that only He can give.
