CHAPTER 4
STEADFAST IN FAITH
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom to devour.” – 1 Peter 5:8
I have never fully understood why God allowed Job to go through all that suffering until I read in Dr. Hunter’s book that “It was Satan trying to convince Job through his sufferings that God’s governing of the world was unjust.” Incidentally, my experiences while lying down on the hospital bed taught me that sometimes things happen to us so we can be reconciled with God the Father, so that, like Job, God’s character can be developed in us through the adversities we face. My experiences enduring the pains and treatment of cancer taught me that “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us” (2 Corinthians 1:20). Many of us do not prepare for trauma or sickness because we do not realize that trials can come from satanic attacks. The Bible warns us to be vigilant and watch out for his schemes. “Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world” (1 Peter 5:9 NKJV). This verse became my cornerstone while in hospital, as you will come to understand.
Sometimes, we also physically punish our bodies and take little or no care of them. We forget that our bodies experience wear and tear and need maintenance. Yes, our body is the temple of God, but we must look after this temple always, both spiritually and physically. It is important to go for medical check-ups regularly, just as we do for our cars. You may be a Spirit-filled, Bible-believing, tongue-speaking born-again Christian, but you are not immune to sickness; sickness will attack your physical body unless you are vigilant as Peter said in 1 Peter 5:8. We must always involve ourselves in light forms of physical exercise to relieve the stress of everyday life. I endeavor to go for walks regularly and purposefully undertake rigorous domestic chores. I intend to do more physical exercise as I believe I can do more to be healthy. I hope as you read this book, you will find ways to increase physical exercise. Now let us look at how God dealt with my mindset, spirit, and whole being while in hospital.
It was daunting for me to understand why this should happen to me; I remember JESUS walking on water after He told His disciples to go ahead of Him in Matthew 14:22-31. But like Peter and the rest of the disciples, I doubted for a minute, until I heard God say to me, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31). Then I decided to go into the next treatment cycle focusing on the other side rather than the raging sea ahead (chemotherapy treatment), which I believed JESUS had calmed down for my sake.
During my subsequent treatment cycles, I had various encounters with God. This was truly a time of reckoning for me and it coincided with the time of aggressive chemotherapy treatment. This period, according to the experts, is what determines how well the patient will respond to the treatment. I thank Almighty God for my family who were around me. Having people close to me whom I could relate to and talk to helped me on my journey. Believe me, this was a journey with an unknown destination, except for my hope and expectations of the outcome I wanted at the end of the journey. My family, friends, and church members were my regular source of strength and support during that difficult and energy-sapping hospital stay. The nurses were fantastic, I do not know how they do their jobs but those in the nursing profession are the most caring people I know. The first few weeks were filled with mixed feelings and I must admit I did not know what to expect. I prayed, I believed, and I read the Word, yet I still did not know what to expect! I spent time personalizing and meditating on Romans 8:37, “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Although I was told constantly that it was early days, I started to lose a bit of hair and my appetite.
One day, as I was watching a program called “City Hospital” on daytime TV (normally I hardly watch daytime TV), but this was an uncommon situation, a different era. Time had changed, and now that I was stuck in the hospital, watching daytime TV had become my pastime. Anyway, on the TV screen was a 34-year-old mixed-race man going through similar treatment for Acute Myeloid Leukemia. He was desperate for a stem cell donor as the ‘experts’ told him his survival depended on finding a donor! What news to hear on national television at a critical point in my treatment. This brings me to another important point; like me, most black people do not donate blood, bone marrow, eggs or embryos, or kidneys. Donating could make a difference to someone’s life, whether they live or die, and all that is required in some cases is a disruption to our daily routine.
Anyway, back to the man on television. While the program was ongoing, he was appealing for a donor to come to his aid. I felt sad and upset, considering that I was going through the same illness. Then I turned off the TV and got hold of my Spirit-Filled Bible, flipped it open and Wow! On the very first page I turned to were these words: “I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord” (Psalm 118:17). I knew the words were for me, to comfort and reassure me and I claimed it straight away. And my distress went away faster than it came.
Towards the end of that week, I was full of thanksgiving in faith and belief that God had healed me. I remember reading the story of King David dancing in his courtyard because of the return of the Ark of the Covenant in 2 Samuel 6:16-19; and David sure knew how to praise God. At this time, I just felt like breakdancing! Praise is the answer to relieve a weakened and tired body like mine after having gone through the first and second cycles of intensive treatment. I remember waking up one morning with Jeremiah’s prayer of deliverance, “Heal me O Lord, and I shall be healed. Save me and I shall be saved; for You are my praise” (Jeremiah 17:14). Surely, the Lord is close to those who trust in Him. I put my trust in You that I will not go through all the horrible side effects that the doctors have predicted!
I rested all week because my cells were destroyed by the aggressive dose of chemotherapy and I had become completely neutropenic. My immune system was non-existent, and I later learned that this period was one of the most dangerous stages of the treatment because of the risk of infection. Every single one of my visitors had to wear protective clothing and gloves so that they did not transfer infection to me. The doctors were amazed that the side effects I had were minor and not significant. Praise God!
The periods after each cycle of chemotherapy were always very tiring for there is not much to do. I usually spent the time reading the Bible, newspapers, books, sleeping, thinking, watching daytime television (again and again), and watching music videos and some Nollywood movies. But it was good to dwell in the word of God because it was more of my antibiotic than those given by doctors. God moved in His glory and power in the hospital because He made me a breath of fresh air to the nurses and doctors! I sold Christian music videos from my hospital bed and lives were touched around me in that period. I had to request more copies from the bookshop we owned at that time to meet the demand. I thank God for using me as a vessel to achieve His purpose even while in a hospital bed.
I started making notes of daily events in the hospital after the first two cycles of chemotherapy, experiences which have now come together in this book. Honestly, I was not aware of the challenges still ahead before the illness called leukemia was finally defeated in my life. This is more of a testimony to encourage brethren that wherever we are, God is there with us when we call upon Him. I like what Charles Capps wrote in his book, God’s Creative Power for Healing. On Page 12, he had written, “God did not send His word to heal but He sent His word and healed. God considers it done.” My healing resulted from several things: my attitude, my faith, and to a large extent, my faith in the expertise of the doctors and nurses who treated me through the National Health Service (NHS England).