Dear sis, And you are living through the very things some of us fear., or wonder or have worried deeply about. Your son, you and your husband and family are walking through places where the rubber meets the road kind of faith. No time for fake little pleasantries of religious words or phrases.. Like in a way I'm guessing at times you guys get through the day by the seats of your pants. But am also believing you have the secret place based on your posts and your words of faith and hope and the fact you have survived to tell about it.
But am also guessing you have seen God's hand in a zillion places and situations and people and doctors since you guys first started walking this path of your son's cancer with Jesus. You guys know first hand about LOOKING AWAY TO JESUS when your son is being treated for brain and spine cancer. You guys know better than any of us about the discipline to keep looking AWAY TO JESUS continually one day at a time. Especially going through this knowing it from a human reasoning standpoint. You are a woman that talks about the grace of God all the time too. And how we have to keep knowing it's by Jesus righteousness that we have any claim to the promises.
I love the promises you posted;
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (from 1 Thessalonians 5)
40 " For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
( - Jesus, from John 6)
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (from 2 Peter 3)
10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. 13 I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.
16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (from Ephesians 3)
I can only speak to my experiences but when I'm seeing Jesus and grace, my problem is not magnified even though it is sore real. Even though my problem is still with me it's not magnified and the hope to keep on believing is given just at the time it seems like I'm weak and drained to the end. Then all of the sudden it's filled to the top again!! That is what I believe is the Holy Spirit ministering to me as Jesus told us in John.
John 7:38-39 He who believes in me, as the Scripture said, from his innermost being (belly) shall flow rivers of living water. But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
So we have this Spirit in us now because we are in the new covenant of grace. And just when it's like we don't have any more strength, it's there. This is how I know it's not me., and the touch of the Holy Spirit is for now tiny glimpses of the fullness of God and yet it fills to over flowing!!. How much more is there to come??!!!!!!! Thank you for sharing what you are going through. It was a reminder I needed again to pray for your son and you and your family JGIG. You and Joidevivre both give such uplifting posts I often forget you are going through the things you both are. love lynn