On the day we were married back in February of 1999, our “match made in heaven” was sealed “for better or worse, till death do us part.” Marrying each other was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made, but on our wedding day all we could see was the “for better.” How little did we know that the “for worse” was just around the corner, and that death very well could have parted us.
Seven months and ten days after our wedding, Cara was diagnosed with cancer. What a shock! So much of a shock that we really had no idea what to do. So many weighty decisions to make! How do you make decisions when life and death are in the balance and making the wrong choice can be lethal? The pressure put us in a state of ambivalence and confusion that seemed would kill us itself before the disease ever got a strong grip on Cara. Ultimately, after starting out with one type of treatment, we decided to change course and go in an alternative direction.
The decision was scary because we had no money. What I mean is that at this point we had no money left. We had inadequate insurance, and besides, no insurance pays for natural remedies. And no matter whether a person has the best doctor or the best natural treatment regimen, no one can guarantee a successful outcome! No one but God, that is. Somehow we tremblingly took the leap. The Jordan River never parted until the children of Israel stepped in. So, we ended the former treatment and started in the other direction.
The first wavering step of faith was taken when we made an appointment to see a naturopath. Problem number one: the cost of the initial treatment was projected at $1200. With Cara panicking over the fact that we were spending money we didn’t have and me trying to reassure her, we stepped out. A stop by the mailbox on the very day of our appointment—March 13, 2000—revealed an unsolicited check for $1552.85—which we still have a copy of to this day. Overwhelmed, we took that as a sign that we were heading the right direction! I mean, we could return tithe on the money, pay cash for the treatment that day, and there would be a little left over!
Our bills seemed larger than our income—it seemed like twice my monthly income—but somehow the miracles kept happening. The unsolicited checks in the mail didn’t stop after the first one. They kept coming—for two years! We literally received thousands of unsolicited dollars. Our every need was being met. We don’t know who all of the donors were. Most of the money came through anonymous channels. And one check that did come with the name of the giver on it is someone we had never met—and still haven’t laid eyes on to this very day.
Eight months into this experience of artificially high income, we had about $4000 of out-standing medical bills, and about $4000 of donated money in the bank over and above what we had spent thus far. I began to think, “Bless these peoples’ hearts, I don’t know how they can afford to keep this up. I couldn’t do what they’re doing. It’s going to stop sometime, and since it’s been this long and involves so much money, I have a hunch that’s it’s going to stop real soon—like maybe now. So, maybe what I should do instead of paying off those bills outright is to work out a payment agreement with the health system, and keep the money to use for on-going, uninsured expenses.”
Well, the Holy Spirit had something to say to me about that. He said, “Mark, who are you trusting: Jesus…or the money?”
“Lord, don’t ask me to pay those bills! We’re not talking about some marginal matter in life here. We’re talking about my wife’s life! If I don’t have money to pay for what she needs, it could cost her her life!”
“Who are you trusting,” He repeated, “Jesus or the money?” And Romans 13:8 came to mind, which says, “Owe no man anything…”
I knew what I had to do—at least what the Lord wanted me to do. I had to pay bills. So, I nervously began to go through the motions of paying bills—$500 here, start to pay $1000 there. Then it happened! About ten days later yet another check showed up. This time it was for $1955—the single largest check we received throughout this experience! And many, many more dollars followed after that! How grateful I was that I had chosen to trust in Jesus and not the money!
Well, it’s been three years now (at the time when this was first written). In spite of the harsh realities of this life, my wife is still alive. Her blood tests show her to be cancer free. We are still financially solvent. Jesus has given us a new addition to our family (and two more since). But best of all, we know now better than we ever knew before that Jesus loves us, that He can be trusted, and then when the going gets tough, God gets going—for us!
Don’t be confused, by the way. The point of this story is not money. It’s not even about healing. The point is that the God of heaven is intensely interested in our lives, and that He is willing and able to be active on our behalf! I don’t know what you’re facing today. But rest assured, though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we need fear no evil, because Jesus will go with us! Do you know Him?
If you don’t have a relationship with Jesus Christ, but you would like one, it’s not hard. Getting one goes something like this: Jesus died on the cross because we made a mess out of life. We disobeyed His will and it brought death. But if we will just come clean with the Lord and admit that we are sinners, asking Him to forgive our sins and be our personal Savior and to enter into our inmost being and make us what we should be, He will do it! Friendship with God begins at that moment. Jesus has been and continues to be our best Friend. I hope you will ask Him to be your Savior and Lord and Friend, too.