JUST TO CHEER HER ON

So, my uncle was diagnosed with prostate cancer nearly two years ago, which spread to his pelvis and leg bones fairly quickly, but he continued to function with the help of some strong pain pills. A few months ago an MRI revealed that the cancer had eaten through one of the bones in his leg, which explained his intense pain and his difficulty walking or even just getting out of a chair. His doctor told him that he needed to remain in his wheelchair at all times, but his radiation oncologist told him to try to get out of the wheelchair for very short periods of time each day. Unfortunately, one day while sitting at his kitchen table, the chair he was using collapsed unexpectedly and he fell and broke his hip. This caused immediate hospitalization. After a few days in the hospital, the doctors' reports were not good. They gave him 6 months to a year to live and told him that he would be flat on his back in bed for the rest of his life. However, my uncle is a man of faith who is quick to trust in the Lord and stand on His promises, so he did not accept that report and went on believing that God would perform a miraculous healing on his body. Every prayer warrior we knew was praying for "total restoration" and we began to see this restoration through tiny steps of healing. The first little miracle we saw was when they reduced his pain medication and then reduced it again. After that, the nurses were able to roll him over without first having to give him a pain pill. Then within a few days he was able to sit up in bed for a short time, and after a few more days, he was sitting on the edge of the bed with his legs dangling off. He spent five weeks in the hospital, but by the time he came home he was able to take short rides in his wheelchair. His family and friends rejoiced with him over what God was doing, yet we all still felt that at the perfect time my uncle would be miraculously healed and completely cancer free.

We praised the Lord for His goodness the day my uncle came home from the hospital, but we stood in awe of the Lord's power when we were able to load him up and drive him to his daughter's college graduation in a town about twenty minutes away. At her graduation, despite all of the negative reports, my uncle sat for two hours without complaint and returned home to participate in a celebratory dinner, during which he was able, for the first time, to pull his wheel chair up to the table to join family and friends.

We have continued to see these steps toward a full recovery and we will always believe that God will perform a miracle and heal my uncle completely, but right now, I am content to know that our loving heavenly Father knew the importance of a father being at a graduation to cheer his daughter on.