His Blessings Flow Far as the Curse is Found
“No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground. He comes to make his blessings flow, far as the curse is found, far as the curse is found.” Isaac Watts’ hymn, “Joy to the World”, has been sung many a time, but this year it resonates a little deeper for us, and I presume for many others as well. We have tasted the curse in a different way and have seen just how far the curse is found. Where is the curse found? Everywhere we look we see the curse and its malignant effects. One way that we have been feeling the curse is how wearying dealing with cancer can often be. In the midst of our fluctuating weariness, the good days and the bad, and in all of the waiting that the whole world feels in the midst of a pandemic, we are thankfully reminded almost everywhere we look that Christmas is here. Jesus has come. He came two thousand some odd years ago, in humility and gentleness, to save a world full of people with a terrifying disease and only a single, perfectly effective cure, and the trajectory of eternity was shifted for our good. We are reminded that the King of the whole universe took on humanity with the totality of His deity retained and humbled himself to the point of needing his diaper changed just so that he could grow up and die in the place of ruined sinners like us. So that on the cross the cursed disease of sin of those who believe in him would be removed and transferred to and put to death on the cross with Jesus. Then three days later our King walked out of the grave and liberated those who believe from the last fear we had lingering, the fear of death. So that now, we who were dead from the festering, cancerous sin might take hold of the life bought by Jesus’ blood, to the praise of God’s glorious grace. All this Jesus accomplished at his first coming, what we celebrate around Christmas. The exciting news of Christmas for a weary world is that Jesus is coming a second time, to make right all that is wrong and to manifest the fullness of his kingdom where all those who have turned from their sin and trusted in Jesus will dwell in fullness of joy in the presence of our Savior. This is the future we look to and long for, by the grace of God in the Spirit and through believers’ encouragement, when we are weary, when we are wrestling with waiting to see how this all turns out, and when we are down and sad from the weight of this cancer. But, because of the hope we have in Jesus, we can rejoice in waiting, until our King returns. Joy to the world, indeed.
May we not only wait upon the Lord, but wait with full confidence in Him, and to be strong and let our hearts take courage. (Psalm 26:14) We pray that your hearts take courage today in Him as well. He is always good and His Word can always be trusted.
Treatment Update: Sawyer has been able to transfer some chemotherapy treatments to Huntsville, AL so that we can be home for a few weeks and be near family. Praise the Lord! We really like the team here as well. I also have been permitted to accompany Sawyer during his chemo treatments this time so for that I am very thankful! Sawyer’s liver enzymes continued to be elevated, and his oncologists have determined it is from the Oxaliplatin, and not from the Nivolumab. Moving forward they decided to switch his Oxaliplatin to Irinotecan. His current chemo regimen includes 5FU, Nivolumab, plus the new drug Irinotecan. He received this treatment in Huntsville on 12/17, and tolerated it well and so far his liver seems to be liking the new drug. His next treatment will be on 12/31. A repeat CT scan is planned for late January to determine next steps. He will receive this scan in Houston at MD Anderson. Please continue to pray with us for complete healing of his body and protection against side effects! We love you all very deeply.
Joy to the world! The Lord is come. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus be upon you,
- Sawyer and Amy
