MD Anderson - The Miracle Amplified

Hang with me on this one. It may seem odd but I have a point.

First off, Mike's esophagus was stretched again today. It was stretched up to a 10 this time and the GI Doctor was able to get all the way to the stomach. That is a praise. They haven't been able to do that for the last two times. Once in the stomach, no obvious tumor was seen. Remember, when Mike was first diagnosed, there was a grapefruit size tumor that hung down from his EG Junction into his stomach. Praise God!

So I have been digesting MD Anderson - or as some patient relayed to us Most of the Day Anderson :)! In some ways, it is hard to grasp that the "best cancer center in the world" has nothing for you. By nothing I mean, no cure and that there is nothing in the pipeline. That really sucks. It is hard to sit in those meetings and know what they are thinking and yet not saying. Honestly, I don't need them to say it. I have heard it enough.

Here is the real miracle that happened for us at MD Anderson - the fact that Mike is still here is testament to the amazing power of Jesus. It is like when Elizabeth was born. It took a few months, but eventually we held this incredible miracle of God. Then we decided it was time for more, and were never able to conceive again. We even did infertility treatments in Tucson to try and have another child but to no avail and no one could explain why. That processed just amplified the miracle of Elizabeth. She is a gift from our gracious heavenly father.

I am using that same argument for Mike. His life, his survival just to this point is a miracle amplified. September 4 is one year for us. 95% of those diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer don't survive one year. The oncologist at MD Anderson was very surprised that there cancer was not all over his abdomen after the 3 month chemo/treatment break we have taken over the summer due to all kinds of reasons. The cancer appears to be in the same spots. Things don't make sense and yet they do. It is another miracle amplified. There is a battle going on in Mike's physical body, but Jesus has won the spiritual. He is working on the physical body as well.

I also believe that taking MD Anderson out of the picture allows us to fully rely on God and be able to point to Him for the healing. What a testimony right? Even MD Anderson said there was nothing, no treatment left.... but they forgot one - the Greatest Physician, the Greatest Healer..The GREAT I AM. Moses is a great example. Moses was an incredible man and did great things through God and yet he didn't make it to the Promise Land. He got to see it, but he didn't get to cross into it. He was told to speak to the rock for water and instead struck the rock with his staff. God was righteous in the punishment, but gracious in letting Moses also see the Promise land. In my mind, I also think that if Moses had led the Israelites into the promise land, the Israelites would in turn worship him and not God. We all do it. We worship the money and not the provider. We worship the wonderful vacation somewhere exotic, luscious, relaxing and not the creator of the location. We worship the physical beauty of a person and not the One who knitted him in his mother's womb. I chose to look at our trip as an opportunity to take an obstacle out of our path that might have taken away my sight on God.

Finally, Mike and I talked about Paul and the "thorn in his side". Maybe cancer is the thorn in our side. Maybe our life will consist of Chemo, Doctors appointments, insurance, medical bills, and hospital stays. In the end, that is ok as long as we are still doing what we were created to do, point others towards Jesus.

Prayer needs:
Drs appointments tomorrow to discuss treatments here in McKinney
House wisdom - Dear Lord, we are so confused? Please light that path!
Financial Wisdom
Ministry opportunities
To guide Elizabeth

Praise:
Great weather here in Texas - 80's in August??
Insurance
MD Anderson - so many are seeing miraculous things
Our home here. It was great to be home as a family
One more day!