God Makes Everything Beautiful In His Time

By Gloria De Vicente

When I was 48 I discovered a lump on my left breast. I expressed my concerns to my husband. We made an appointment with my doctor who referred me for a mammogram. We began to pray over this matter. The results came back negative for cancer. We were so relieved! We praised the Lord! He had been faithful.

Five months later, I felt my breast again. The lump was twice as big as before. I knew this wasn’t good. We prayed once again. We were referred to an ultrasound and later for a biopsy. This time the results were positive. I was diagnosed with breast cancer, 3 days before my 49th birthday. We were then referred to an oncologist, but the office was closed for the weekend.

On my birthday, we called to set up an appointment with an oncologist. Our first appointment was scheduled for three weeks later. My birthday was also the first day of Vacation Bible School at our church. It was nice to be busy and serve meals to the children.

It was also heartwarming to receive the love and support from the members of our church. Some of our church prayer groups knew of my diagnosis and reached out and said they would be praying for me and my family. They often asked how they could pray for me. I told them that I hadn’t been able to sleep since I was
diagnosed. I was a woman of faith, but my mind was still wandering about the “what if’s”. One night I broke down and cried out to the Lord. I said to Him, “I know You will heal me here onEarth or in Heaven. If You heal me in Heaven then I will miss my husband and my kids, but I won’t look back. I trust You will protect
them. May Your will be done”. I started to sleep well and in peace.

Glory to God!

My primary doctor had been updated and knew we had to wait three weeks to be seen by the oncologist.

She had her staff call for a sooner appointment and in three weeks I was on the surgery table. The oncologist said she wanted me to be aware that things didn’t look good. The surgeon said the same. I thought to myself, I’ll wait on God’s report. My surgery was a success. The cancerous tumor was compelely out. They did a biopsy on my lymph nodes and there were no signs that the cancer had spread! The surgeon said I was 95.5% cancer free! So I thought to myself, “Yeah, no chemo!” But my oncologist and surgeon explained to me that due to the tumor’s aggressiveness, chemotherapy and radiation would be necessary to ensure no microscopic cells got away. I cried. Honesty who wants to lose their hair. I told the Lord, “If this is Your will, please bless me with the ability to smile through the treatments.”

For my first chemotherapy I went to the treatment center, but they didn’t have room for me, so I saw my oncologist first. After seeing the oncologist, I went to the waiting room where my husband was waiting. I cried and told my husband I didn’t want to go back to receive chemo. It made me think of my father in-law receiving dialysis and my heart was so sad for others. He assured me this was what was best for me. So I went back and received my chemo.

About three days after recieving my chemo, I felt sick and weak with no desire to eat or drink. In the days to come, I felt worse. One day my family had left for work and school, I felt darkness all around me. I felt I was falling deeper and deeper in a very dark pit. I called out to the Lord, “Lord, I have no strength to pray. I
have no strength to praise You.” I felt so alone. But Jesus understood my fears and loneliness. He experienced that sense of loneliness and despair at the cross. It was the first time He didn’t feel the Father’s presence. Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46) You see, Jesus is our example. He cried out to the Father, and that’s what we need to do in our hardest battles. The Lord did rescue me. I did continue to have good days and they reminded me to stay humble. I had bad days and the Lord reminded me that
I would be well again. I know I’m standing here today because many prayed for me. The Lord is faithful! I am now cancer free! God indeed makes everything beautiful in His time.