Basal Cell Carcinoma

A journey begins with a single step.

My first steps were on the wrong path. But sometimes doing something the wrong way leads us to search for a better way, to search for the right path. And as I journey on this better path, I am eager to share what I have learned and give testimony to Jehovah Raphe, the LORD who heals me.

My healing journey began with the medical diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma, a skin cancer that appeared on my face. The "C word" strikes fear in all of us because no one is untouched by the ravages of this disease. A mother, brother, grandparent or beloved friend has bled, and even died, on the battlefield known as cancer. Breast cancer, brain tumor, skin lesion -- some of many names and anatomical locations that conjur up a story with a familiar face.

The optimal plan of attack for the C-word is excision, complete eradication as quickly as possible. So I made an appointment with a dermatologist and had the lesion cut out. It was expensive (I wasn't covered by health insurance), but necessary ... right?

Several years later, my husband and I began to learn about spiritual roots of disease. We learned that a spiritual root of cancer is unforgiveness. So when the basal cell carcinoma came back, as they often do, I didn't make an appointment with the dermatologist. I went to the LORD in prayer instead. I said, "LORD, the book says that unforgiveness is a root of cancer. I think I'm OK in the unforgiveness department, but if there is someone I need to forgive, please let me know." I hadn't even opened my eyes before a name came to mind. Ugh! Her again?!

Standing right there, next to the mirror that reflected my cancer, I chose to forgive her ... again. Forgiveness is a choice, I reminded myself. It is a matter of will not a way of feeling. It is not saying a person didn't hurt me or treat me badly or do something wrong. It is saying that I release that person and what they did (and continue to do) to the LORD for Him to deal with. It made sense to me in a new way -- unforgiveness is a cancer, but it eats away at me, the unforgiving person, not her, the offending person.

After I made the choice to forgive (I actually said it out loud), the basal cell carcinoma went away in a matter of days ... on its own. No visit to the doctor, no expensive procedure. Praise God!

Now I try to keep a clean slate in the forgiveness department. I try to take care of any niggling feelings of unforgiveness as soon as they arise. However, every now and then, I only recognize harbored unforgiveness when another lesion crops up. As soon as it does, I go to the LORD for a name. One time, a name came to mind and I chose to forgive as I always had. But the lesion persisted. I was perplexed, so I went to the LORD again. He brought up another name. It took three names and three decisions to forgive before that pesky lesion diappeared. God is good like that, He wants to penetrate all layers of our sin to bring us to complete healing. That was the last basal cell carcinoma I have had. Hopefully, the last ever.