During my lifetime, I have heard and have also seen people suffering from cancer. People close to me had fallen victim to it. All that time I thought as if I was immune to it- that I would never suffer from it. Then a couple of years back, the unimaginable happened – I was detected with cancer! ......of the nasopharynx (throat).
My cancer was in its 3rd stage. I knew my chances of survival were dim unless God worked a miracle in me. Just the thought of leaving my loved ones from this beautiful world forever was like a stab into my heart. It was hard to believe that I had the most dreaded terminal disease ever known.
During my treatment, I suffered so much as a result of the toxic chemotherapy and radiotherapy. I experienced multiple side-effects, most painful of which was inability to swallow foods (even liquids!) and inability to speak due to oral mucositis. It was an experience I still dread to imagine. But the merciful God helped me to overcome all these and successfully complete my treatment.
After all the painful treatment was over, I was called for a final test- the PET scan of my whole body. All these time, besides me and my loved ones, numerous churches and well wishers were fervently praying to Almighty God to heal me. Then the PET scan result was out the next day- 19th Aug’ 09 (i.e this day 2 years back!). Everything was clear! My cancer was gone! God had healed me! He had answered the fervent prayers and made my treatment a success!
Initially I complained to God for the affliction with the dreaded disease. Later on I realized that it was for a purpose- that I was being corrected and molded into a new person. I recollected and repented for all my iniquities and thereafter made a new commitment before the Almighty God. Then it dawned on me that this disease wasn’t a curse but was in fact a blessing in disguise for me. It brought me closer to my Creator. It helped me to view life from a different perspective.
This experience taught me so many lessons. One of which was, it made me realize how blessed we are to be able to speak, eat, drink etc. I usually took these things for granted. But I now know it is only by the Grace of God that we can perform all these activities. We need to remember to thank God for all these wonderful activities because there are many people in various hospitals etc who are crying their hearts out to be able to eat, drink etc.(or for that matter – breath, speak, see, hear, walk etc).
I also realized the importance and the need to diligently worship the Lord when one is hale and hearty, because when one is down with illness, it becomes almost impossible to pray (with all the physical pain and mental tension that one is going through).
Dear brothers and sisters, I would like to share a message with you – if you’re healthy/well without much problem, thank God and worship Him with all sincerity (1 Thesa 5:18). Our future is uncertain. Right now, everything may seem alright. But you don’t know what problem or sickness may come before you the next second. If you’re true to God, He will save you from any unseen danger. Even if it may befall you, the Almighty God is there to get you out of it.
If you’re sick or have got problems, worry not. A sincere prayer of faith (from the bottom of your heart) is the answer (Math 21:22). Our good Lord will never reject a tear-filled prayer. Just remember, we are worshipping a living God- one who had worked miracles and still performs miracles even today (I’m a living testimony!). Your problem/ sickness may be small or it may be big- but to our Almighty God, nothing’s impossible (Luke 1:37). When He can even bring a dead person back to life (Lazarus, Jn 11: 39-44), He can resolve your problem easily and you’ll soon witness a miracle in your life too!
God bless!
Dr.Imlitemsu Ozukum,
MBBS, MD (PMR)
My cancer was in its 3rd stage. I knew my chances of survival were dim unless God worked a miracle in me. Just the thought of leaving my loved ones from this beautiful world forever was like a stab into my heart. It was hard to believe that I had the most dreaded terminal disease ever known.
During my treatment, I suffered so much as a result of the toxic chemotherapy and radiotherapy. I experienced multiple side-effects, most painful of which was inability to swallow foods (even liquids!) and inability to speak due to oral mucositis. It was an experience I still dread to imagine. But the merciful God helped me to overcome all these and successfully complete my treatment.
After all the painful treatment was over, I was called for a final test- the PET scan of my whole body. All these time, besides me and my loved ones, numerous churches and well wishers were fervently praying to Almighty God to heal me. Then the PET scan result was out the next day- 19th Aug’ 09 (i.e this day 2 years back!). Everything was clear! My cancer was gone! God had healed me! He had answered the fervent prayers and made my treatment a success!
Initially I complained to God for the affliction with the dreaded disease. Later on I realized that it was for a purpose- that I was being corrected and molded into a new person. I recollected and repented for all my iniquities and thereafter made a new commitment before the Almighty God. Then it dawned on me that this disease wasn’t a curse but was in fact a blessing in disguise for me. It brought me closer to my Creator. It helped me to view life from a different perspective.
This experience taught me so many lessons. One of which was, it made me realize how blessed we are to be able to speak, eat, drink etc. I usually took these things for granted. But I now know it is only by the Grace of God that we can perform all these activities. We need to remember to thank God for all these wonderful activities because there are many people in various hospitals etc who are crying their hearts out to be able to eat, drink etc.(or for that matter – breath, speak, see, hear, walk etc).
I also realized the importance and the need to diligently worship the Lord when one is hale and hearty, because when one is down with illness, it becomes almost impossible to pray (with all the physical pain and mental tension that one is going through).
Dear brothers and sisters, I would like to share a message with you – if you’re healthy/well without much problem, thank God and worship Him with all sincerity (1 Thesa 5:18). Our future is uncertain. Right now, everything may seem alright. But you don’t know what problem or sickness may come before you the next second. If you’re true to God, He will save you from any unseen danger. Even if it may befall you, the Almighty God is there to get you out of it.
If you’re sick or have got problems, worry not. A sincere prayer of faith (from the bottom of your heart) is the answer (Math 21:22). Our good Lord will never reject a tear-filled prayer. Just remember, we are worshipping a living God- one who had worked miracles and still performs miracles even today (I’m a living testimony!). Your problem/ sickness may be small or it may be big- but to our Almighty God, nothing’s impossible (Luke 1:37). When He can even bring a dead person back to life (Lazarus, Jn 11: 39-44), He can resolve your problem easily and you’ll soon witness a miracle in your life too!
God bless!
Dr.Imlitemsu Ozukum,
MBBS, MD (PMR)
