Cancer is a gift
“Every Good and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” James 1: 17
Dear Family and friends
Wow it’s been a little over a year since I (Cindy) last wrote an update letter. As you know, it’s been a challenging year. A few people have asked me what all God has taught me through this difficult season so I thought I would share with you just a little.
Several years ago I met a woman who was a cancer survivor. She shared about the difficulties of cancer and the greatest thing she learned from it. She said she had learned that cancer was a gift. She believed that God had given her cancer as a gift. And that that gift was perfect and exactly what she needed. I sat in awe of this woman who walked with God and believed that cancer was a gift. I walked away from that afternoon pondering her statements in my heart but knowing that I would never could say cancer was a gift.
Now several years later, after my recent battle with cancer, I fully understand why she said that. Cancer is a gift. God uses this horrific life altering, life changing event, to show you not only who He is but to show you who you really are. Seeing and experiencing the sovereignty of God in a way like never before is a gift that can’t be duplicated. Yes there is a tremendous loss on so many levels unlike ever before. And yes the pain is unbearable. And yes the poison put in your body is the worst thing imaginable. But God… God uses it to change us and mold us and shape us into the people He wants us to be. I am not the same person I was before cancer. That person seems fake and superficial. My heart for the LORD has deepened and so has my heart for people. The gift of cancer is that I have been changed.
There is tremendous suffering in this world and God has called each of us to be his hands and feet and show the love of Christ. In a world that is all about self, love is the complete opposite of that. Love is sacrificial. It costs to love. Love wasn’t free. Jesus suffering and dying was the ultimate example of love. It was horrific, it hurt beyond compare, it cost him His life. So if we are called to love our neighbor as ourself then it will cost us our time, our resources, our very lives to show them the love of Christ. I have learned that I don’t love very well and that’s why Christ died. To pay the price we couldn’t. He loved at the cost of his life because we would never be able to. All of this to show us the greatest love we will ever be given. Christ love is a great gift.
So my challenge for all of us is where am I willing to show real love to those around me? Where am I going to give of my time to sit with someone in the hospital or make meal when I am not sure there will be enough for your own family, or where am I going to show love by coming along side and entering into another person’s suffering?
My hope and prayer is that we all don’t wait till a near death experience to see how deep the Father’s love is for us and live it out to a lost and dying world around us. How can we show the world the greatest gift we were ever given?
1 John 4:7-8 “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does no know God, because God is love.”
In Christ,
Chris & Cindy
Josiah, Noah and Rebecca
Prayer Requests:
Cindy: Please continue to pray for her health. Chemo fatigue is normal and lasts many years. This makes it hard to take care of our family. Her Dr. and counselor has said that she is doing to much and under to much stress for her body to heal properly. It's very hard to rest with 3 small children. Please pray that she would rest often and allow others to help more. Also pray for us as we can no longer afford our nannies. Pray that God gives her supernatural strength to care for our family full time. Pray for her walk with God to be rich and full and that she would trust Him with her new limitations.Chris: Pray for him with balancing work and helping at home. Its draining working full time and coming home to take care of the family. Pray for supernatural strength to balance it all. Pray that he would lead our family and all it's challenges out of an overflow of his walk with the LORD.
Josiah: Pray for him as he starts all day kindergarten on Sept. 8th. He will be attending Friends Christian School in Yorba Linda which is a huge blessing. Pray for him as he adjusts to a new routine, new school, and new friends. Pray also that his heart would be open to the gospel this year. We are so excited and he is too.
Noah: Please pray for our sweet but challenging Noah. Pray for us as we begin the process of special education for him through the public school district. Pray that God would move mountains with our insurance Kaiser to get a diagnosis which in turn will open up more services that will help him grow and develop. Pray for Cindy as she is his advocate though all of this. Pray that God would give Chris and Cindy supernatural wisdom and patience to help teach him boundaries and all the things he needs to know.
Rebecca: Please pray for her as she is growing like a weed. She is sweet but spunky at times. She is trying so hard to keep up with big brothers Josiah and Noah. Pray for her as having her brothers in school will be a big change. Pray that she would enjoy mommy time and we would have special bonding times. Pray for wisdom on how to help teach and guide her.
Also please pray for our family as we look to the future and all God has planned for us. Pray that we would trust Him in the unknown and uncertainty that he will lead and guide us.
Thanks for praying for us!!
We would love to pray for you and your family...please email us your prayer requests (cindybroniste@gmail.com)
Here are a few pictures from our recent family vacation! Hope you enjoy!!
