May 2 - Anonymous

Nearly 10 years ago a neighbor boy (then 14) was diagnosed with a deadly cancer. After several surgeries, an amputation, every kind of Chemo/other over about 4 years Sloan Kettering (MSK) told him they had nothing else to offer and stopped treatment. The father being a truck driver on the road a lot came over and asked for my help. Up to that point I had been praying "for" CJ - now I began praying "with" CJ and started helping him with diet & exercises. I agreed to drive him to several hospitals seeking 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th opinions starting with his entire team of doctors/staff at MSK where I sat with CJ and listened to them reiterate they did not have any more options and gave him a prognosis of a "few" months. Over the next couple months I drove him to cancer hospitals in surrounding states only to hear the same story and offers of treatment that would possibly extend his life a few months but at a high cost to quality of life. During this time I shared the gospel and CJ started coming to church. He then made a profession of faith and was so excited to buy his own bible at the CCOB book store. Seeing God transform his life as he started reading that Bible EVERY night was amazing.

The very LAST hope on our list was Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. On the drive there CJ asked me about miracles. I excitedly told him "CJ, God ABSOLUTELY works miracles in many ways and for His children even though He generally does not interfere in the natural course of events in our fallen world." Then I stated "CJ, now as a believer you are going to see REAL miracles - when you acknowledge Him and look to Him, you will start seeing Him work miraculously in your life". It just came out boldly! So here are some of the ways our Great God honored that assertion:

After meeting with the doctor and going over his file/history he went out and met with a couple of other doctors. When he finally came back he explained to us there was a Phase One Trial CJ could qualify for, that literally just opened, and that he could start almost immediately! Not even a week later we were on the road back to Boston to start treatments. CJ claimed this as his first miracle!

We had reservations at the wonderful "Boston House" (Charitable Home for children with cancer) but somehow the reservation dates had been entered wrong and they only had one room up several flights of precarious stairs (CJ had a prosthetic leg and in weak condition) bathroom down the hall and not adequate for three people (including my then 4 year old son). After hobbling down the stairs to the lobby we were told the owners/managers were out of the country and there was nothing they could do. So we began searching for a hotel room nearby. It was late, we were not finding rooms available, and CJ was exhausted. I tried to comfort him saying God will help us and had a short prayer. A few minutes later a person we had not seen before came out and told us they were going to put us in the special family suite on the first floor that was booked starting the next night.

The first order of business was to get fresh MRI's of the tumors (several) as it had been 3 months since the last set with no treatments. After we got settled for a long day and CJ was in treatment I was about to turn my attention to finding a hotel when I got a call from Boston House telling us an amazing story how the owners had unexpectedly called and gotten involved to free up that family suite for the remaining nights! What a Blessing (and Miracle)!

As we got out of the car at Boston house that afternoon I heard air - it was a nail in the driver side rear tire. I looked over towards the entry porch and saw a high quality tire pump just leaning on the porch. My how God can show you his presence! I pulled out the plug kit from the back, grabbed the pump, and had the tire fixed in literally a few minutes. CJ was astounded, I didn't even need to walk 25' or move the car as it was in the perfect position.

The drive home was brutal having to stop several times for CJ to throw-up alongside the road (what a tough kid)... but as we were nearing home the ride became joyous as we digested the news from a call informing that the baseline MRI results showed NO tumor growth and one small tumor GONE. Wait a minute, in over 4 years and every treatment option known to man, the tumors continued to multiply and grow unabated, yet now after 3 months of no treatments this?? Since it was a month from the last treatment until I got involved and 6 weeks from when he came to faith, one must conclude that at some point in that 3 months the tumors had to REVERSE and SHRINK in order for them to now show no growth - not to mention one of them dissolving completely.

CJ suffered greatly as the "Trial" treatments made him very sick, he couldn't keep food down, and he couldn't sleep well. Regardless, from this point on CJ was in church every Sunday unless he was in the hospital. He went to Boston for a week every month for the next year and then participated in another Trial with local treatments. I was blessed to go a couple of more times but fortunately his Dad was able to work out a schedule with his company to start taking him. The next few MRI's were Very promising but there was confusion about what was actually behind the improvements and CJ stopped doing the things we had started with, rather depending more exclusively on the Trial treatments and prayer. He did eventually succumb to the cancer but God Blessed him with time to read through the entire Bible and then some, fellowship with other believers, experience several if not many more miracles in his journey that lasted much longer than the prognosis, became a witness for others, especially in his hospital relationships having his bible at his bed table, and growing in his faith.

God surely works miracles of all sorts and it was such a privilege to see the biggest one of all when CJ came to faith and became Born Again!