The most frightening words a woman can hear are, "You have cancer and need immediate surgery." This was the message I received from my OB/GYN specialist after undergoing what I thought was a routine ultrasound. From reading articles, I knew that ovarian cancer was usually very aggressive and spread to other sites in the body. After hearing that doctor's diagnosis, I was in denial and a little angry that this was happening to me. I did not have time to be slowed down by a serious illness like this. It was too soon for me to die, I thought. My ministry in the church as a lay leader was almost at its peak.

Determined to fight back, I demanded to get another opinion to prove the diagnosis was wrong. When the second ultrasound came back with the same diagnosis, I became depressed and started making out a will. I hid the extent of the problem from everyone except one family member. It was almost as if I was ashamed of being sick. Then, one day from somewhere deep inside of me came the thought: Ask God for His opinion on this problem.

Although my faith was weak, I began to pray and to reread all the healing scriptures I had heard about in church. At first they just seemed empty and hollow. But as I began to memorize the verses and rehearse them in my mind and even out loud, something seemed to change. The words of scripture seemed to come alive.

Psalm 103:3 - who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases

Isaiah 53:5 - But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

My faith got a little stronger each day and I began to believe that God would heal this cancer.

With confidence that God was working behind the scenes, I signed the consent for surgery and told the doctors that the tumors they would remove would not be cancerous. The surgeon responded with a polite smile, but insisted that a cancer specialist be on "stand by" in the operating room. On the morning of the surgery, the peace of God came on me in a special way. I was not afraid as they wheeled me into the operating room early in the morning. I had received the "second opinion" from God's word, which was giving me peace and assurance.

Late in the evening, when some of the anesthesia wore off, the surgeon came to check on me and announced that they did not find cancer in the tumors they had removed. They seemed amazed and puzzled that all of their predictions had been wrong. I thanked the doctors for their help and I could only think: How faithful God had been to the promises in His word.

Ps. 118:23 "This is the Lord's doing: it is marvelous in our eyes."