Faith Perspective: Opening Yourself Up to Others After a Cancer Diagnosis

“It’s important to reach out in a simple prayer to God, even if you never prayed before, you don’t know what to say, a heartfelt plea, God, help me, be with me,” Pastor Evans says.

When faced with a health crisis such as a cancer diagnosis, it is important to find ways to cope with the complex web of feelings you may be experiencing.

For some, turning to faith can be a great way to keep spirits high when cancer starts taking an emotional and/or physical toll. In fact, a 2015 National Health Interview Survey found that 69% of cancer patients reported praying for their health compared to 45% of the general United States population.

You can reach out to God, and you can reach out to people, your friends and family, and say, I can’t do this on my own. I need you,” Pastor Evans says. “It’s in that willingness to be open and to receive that we can actually find something deeper that we never would encounter without this hardship.”

Pastor Evans says, “This is what is so powerful about times of hardship.”

“You think cancer … (is) simply going to be a devastating time,” he adds, “But it’s in those moments that sometimes you discover how wonderful humanity is. We spend so much time watching the news, and we become so disillusioned with people, but it’s in hardship, it’s in cancer … that suddenly you feel that people are glorious.”

“I truly believe what Paul says, “God uses all things for good,” and God can even use these terrible things, such as a cancer diagnosis … to help you discover the wonder and glory of life and the wonder of the gift of others,” Pastor Evans says.

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