I've been diagnosed with cancer

[msnobody]

Sending well wishes your way that your pneumothorax will continue to improve, so you can proceed with your treatments.

[IWMP]

Gosh tim. Hope you recover soon. That doesn't sound good.

Can I ask a personal question? No need to answer if it seems too much. Do you have spiritual experiences and special insight with your collapsed lung?

[Philo Sofee]

Thinking of you Tim. I will enjoy discussing Israel and her myths as well as Heiser's book "The Unseen Realm" Msnobody mentioned.

[msnobody]

Tim, are you okay?

[IWMP]

Hope all is well tim.

[Jersey Girl]

Hello Tim,

I'm just going to start with this because it's the one thing that's weighed heavy on my mind ever since I read it and I think the rest of what I want to address can wait. Please bear with me and my questioning because I need to get in your head if I can. If I can get on your path of thinking, I think I can learn to walk it with you. See where it goes and if it helps you.

For this reason, I have no reasonable expectation that God will miraculously cure my cancer, and I'm not going to bother asking him to do so. I am simply not that important in the overall scheme of things and I certainly don't want God to wind up destroying life, the universe, and everything on my account. But if God is so constrained that he cannot help me with my illness, what can he do? Immanuel--God is with us. I have been thinking along these lines since I read Roberts some twenty-five years or so ago. But here, today, knowing what my likely fate is going to be, it is a thought that has become especially comforting.

I want to ask you two questions before talking in a bit more detail about the above.

1. Do you believe that God created you?
2. If so, what do you think His reason was for creating you?

I'm going to say what I wanted to from the very beginning of this thread about the above. It was the first thing I wanted to discuss after reading your post.

Here you say:

I am simply not that important in the overall scheme of things and I certainly don't want God to wind up destroying life, the universe, and everything on my account.

I disagree with this. I assume that you believe that God created you. Why? God had no practical reason to create us, Tim. He didn't need us to be in His Creation. He didn't need a creation to start with. He didn't need the sun or the moon, or the ocean or the land or the grass or the trees or the animals in His Creation. He created those things because He wanted them.

And He wanted us.

He wanted us from the beginning, Tim. And he wanted you. We are, by far, His most wanted part of Creation. Think about it. He made us in His image, Tim. Not all those things I listed above...US. Therefore, don't underestimate His desire or ability to rescue you. He already showed us that He was prepared to rescue us when He made a way back to Him.

As to the following:

But if God is so constrained that he cannot help me with my illness, what can he do? Immanuel--God is with us.

You probably didn't intend to answer your own question there, but you did. What can He do? He can be with you. He can be with you, your family, your medical team while He works things out according to His plan for you and for all of those who love and take care of you.

I, like others here, have not stopped thinking about you and praying you through, and I just want to encourage you to look for His grace and blessings, Tim. Like the determination that you are a good candidate for immunotherapy. His grace will be seen in real ways. The blessings will be there. Like He is there, Tim. Immanuel.

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. ~ Numbers 16: 24-26

[yellowstone123]

I hope for the best outcome for you. It's possible. I have a family member who I care for dearly who is in a similar situation. Recently she found out the company providing palliative care shut down, and her oncologist wants her to get another one, but the worker of that company said she needs to be on a medicare.

Her Anthem plan did a wonderful job at first but now she is not sure how to negotiate it all and the services are disappearing. Her disability pay puts her out of Medi-Cal but if she did qualify it would take half her disability pay for the monthly health care premium with an 8,000 dollar deductable. It's difficult for the middle class in California. It's great if you are super rich or super poor. I hope you are in a better situation with your insurance or government plan.

Positive thoughts for a positive outcome.

[Kishkumen]

I am inclined to agree with Jersey. One can go overboard with humility and move into a new kind of pride. God can attend to and love all Creation in ways we are incapable of grasping with our finite minds. Being open to the possibility of that love and care is an expression of faith.

My heart goes out to you, Tim. I am grateful to know you. You are a good man.

[Dr Exiled]

Godspeed. Everyone matters, including you. I hope you have your affairs in order and I say that as a lawyer who deals with these issues from time to time.