4 minute read
Fear Not
I was terrified of an upcoming medical procedure, until a message from above settled my nerves. by Everett Griffin
Photos: Courtesy of Everett Griffin
Iusually think of myself as someone who can deal with whatever life throws at me.
“Just take it as it comes,” I often tell my wife, Joyce, who tends to stew over problems for a while before she gives them to the Lord.
That’s why I couldn’t understand
Before the Storm Everett Griffin, mug of coffee in hand, with his Bible
the fear that gripped me that morning, sending me into a panic unlike anything I’d experienced before.
Piece of Cake There was good reason to be apprehensive. Later that day, I was to have my first radiation treatment
for a squamous cell carcinoma on my scalp. Cancer, a word nobody wants to hear. This one was an ugly looking thing about the size of a quarter and growing rapidly.
The oncologist had given me two choices—surgery or radiation. I chose radiation.
I expected to breeze through this cancer episode without any fear at all.
I wasn’t especially troubled after hearing I’d need 22 treatments— one every weekday until the course was finished. And I was calm during the three weeks it took to set up my appointments.
Piece of cake. I can do this, I thought. And that’s how I felt right up until that morning.
Morning Fear I had always been a laid-back guy, and I became even more so in my
“I Will Help You” Griffin undergoing a radiation treatment
mid 40s when I became a Christian.
I’ll never forget how clean and peaceful I felt. No bells, no whistles, just peace. I knew I had been saved. And from that point on, I had absolutely no fear because I knew God was real in my life.
But the morning of my first treatment, my mind became strangely full of worrisome questions: What if the treatments don’t work? What if the cancer spreads? What if the radiation damages my brain while it’s killing off nearby cancer cells?
Fear flooded my thoughts as I sat at the kitchen table with my morning mug of coffee. I asked God to calm my nerves, but I was still afraid.
At Peace Not knowing what else to do, I continued my regular routine, grabbing my Bible and daily
devotional book.
When I opened the Bible, I noticed that its ribbon marker was at the back of the book—and I didn’t recall moving it. Curiosity won out, so I opened to the page the ribbon was marking, which was Isaiah 41.
I could hardly believe what I saw. At the very top of the page, in large bold italics, were the words: “Do not fear; I will help you.”
That got my attention. I started reading the chapter, until I reached the 13th verse of Isaiah 41, which contained the words at the top of the page: “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, ‘Do not fear; I will help you.’ ”
Peace suddenly wrapped itself around me like a thick blanket. Every bit of fear I’d felt disappeared, and I knew without a doubt that God would be with me throughout the coming ordeal.
Message From God As the treatment began, I mentally recited Psalm 23 from memory, something I was in the habit of doing in stressful situations—such as in the dentist chair or when undergoing an uncomfortable medical test. I was amazed at how relaxed I felt. The treatment was over before I knew it.
When I got home, I immediately printed out the Bible verse and started to carry it around with me from that day forward.
During the course of my treatments, I often shared the verse with others who were waiting to be called in for their own appointments. Believe me, if you are ever going to come in contact with nervous and fearful people, you’ll find them in the waiting room of a cancer-treatment centre.
I would wait until the Lord seemed to direct me to someone to talk to. Sometimes, a person sitting near me would open a conversation that led to sharing my little card and its big message. Other times, I was able to share my story with staff.
The radiation treatments are finished now and the oncologist is thrilled with my progress. So am I, but my joy is twofold—because my cancer is gone and because my faith has zoomed to new heights.
And all thanks to a message straight from God.
