Sign up for our free newsletter:

 1 of 2

"Greg, I don't know how to tell you this, but you have 30 days to live." With those words, Greg Anderson's oncologist offered no hope.

Greg's lung cancer had spread. His weight dipped to 112 pounds. And Greg and his wife, Linda, married only five years, began to pray.

Today, more than 20 years later, Greg is CEO and co-founder, along with Linda, of the Cancer Recovery Foundation (www.cancerrecovery.org or 800-238-6479), which provides resources, support groups, and encouragement for families dealing with cancer. He is also author of Cancer and The Lord's Prayer (Jordan House/Meredith).

Marriage Partnership wanted to know more about his healing and how the diagnosis affected their marriage.

How did you respond to the diagnosis?

Greg: I spent a lot of time "awfulizing"—taking things to the worst possible conclusion. Linda listened to me complain, and allowed me to express my fears and regrets.

Linda: I refused to think about it for days. Then a numbness settled in. Finally, we looked at each other and said, "Okay, we're partners in this and God's at the head of the table. What's next?"

So you found hope in the midst of hopelessness?

Greg: Yes. We recognized that God is in control. We thanked him for what we did have as opposed to what we didn't. Pain—emotional, spiritual, and physical—is inevitable. But suffering is optional. We knew we needed to focus more on the promises of God than on the problems of cancer. I clung to Psalm 23: "The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want." Some days I would claim that 100 times.

Greg: People often ask, "What's the most important reason you're alive today?" I tell them prayer! I had a lymph node at the base of my neck about the size of half a grapefruit. I was on morphine for the pain. And Linda would lie beside me and place her hands on my neck and chest and pray for hours at a time.

Linda: Praying out loud wasn't in my nature. But it felt right to ask God for his strength and healing.

Your book talks about the Lord's Prayer. What role did that play?

Greg: One clause that's often overlooked is, "Thy will be done." A lot of people pray, "Lord, help me. Heal me. Take the cancer away." But there comes a spiritual maturity that says, "Lord, above all, make known to me your will. And I will do whatever possible to make that my life." I didn't say take away the cancer. I said, "Use the cancer." I didn't say, "Perform a miracle," I said, "Lord, help me reveal your will."

Linda: When we started to concentrate on that during Greg's cancer, God started to move emotionally, spiritually, and physically.

next page... |  1 of 2

				Try an Issue of Today's Christian Woman Free! Name Street Address City/State/Zip E-mail Address No credit card required. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Offer valid in U.S. only. Click here for International orders. If you decide you want to keep Today's Christian Woman coming, honor your invoice for just $17.95 and receive five more issues, a full year in all. If not, simply write "cancel" across the invoice and return it. The trial issue is yours to keep, regardless. Give Today's Christian Woman as a gift Buy 1 gift subscription, get 1 FREE!

RSS Feed   RSS Help