JOURNEY WITH JEHOVAH-JIREH

I have spent a number of hours editing my CaringBridge entries that I am adapting for an ebook. As I continue adding posts, I hope to publish it in September, after the critical one hundred days following my bone marrow transplant. My working title is “Conquering Cancer by Grace” and the sub-title is “Journey with Jehovah-Jireh.”

Grace is a great word for me in conquering cancer. For years I have tried to plumb the meaning of this word “grace.” I have settled on some words by the Apostle Paul that I believe describe grace. Paul wrote in his letter to the church in Philippi, “It is God who is at work in you, both to will and to do His good pleasure.” I think those words get at the meaning of grace.

The subtitle, “Journey with Jehovah-Jireh,” has to do with a name of God. The name Yahweh, or Jehovah, is known as the sacred name of God in the Hebrew Scriptures. When a Bible translation has LORD in all capital letters, it signifies Jehovah.

Other descriptions of God’s activity give fuller revelation of His character. In the first book of the Bible is the account of Abraham when he was asked to sacrifice his son Isaac. At just the right moment, God provided a ram instead. Abraham called this place Jehovah-Jireh, “The-Lord-Will-Provide” (Genesis 22:14).

Cissy and I have seen God provide for our needs over and over again in the last year in our cancer ordeal. This journal is a testimony to our great God. We have learned much during this experience. We find God's provisions are always greater than our problems.

In a wonderful way God has provided a bone marrow donor for me. My brother and sister had their blood tested, but were found not qualified. Several friends submitted mouth swabs to the National Bone Marrow registry, but did not match, as well as none others in the registry.

Each of my three sons, Bill, Seth, and Evan, willingly and gladly volunteered to have their blood tested. The youngest, Evan, was chosen to be an acceptable donor for me.

Last Wednesday Evan had more blood drawn for further testing. He also donated two pints of blood that will be banked for him. On May 5 he will be put under general anesthesia. Some of his bone marrow will be withdrawn from his hip and will be transfused to me. Then Evan will receive back his two pints of blood that were banked.

Silver and gold and all the money in the world can not give me back my health. My physical life will be redeemed by Evan’s blood, as his stem cells graft into my bone marrow in the weeks following transplant. No longer will my blood type be what it is now. My body will adopt the blood type of Evan.

The power of blood to give life was declared in the Bible a few thousand years ago. “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement" (Leviticus 17:11).

At times Judaism and Christianity have seemed like bloody faiths to me. The writer of Hebrews in the New Testament declared, "without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." In my own situation of needing blood, it makes more sense to me now.

The Apostle Peter wrote,”knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ” (1Peter 1:18, 19). The writer of Revelation adds, Jesus Christ “loves us and released us from our sins by His blood” (Revelation 1:5).

By having my physical life redeemed with a bone marrow transplant, I understand more clearly how Christ has redeemed my spiritual life. The significance of this Easter season has a fresh meaning for me.

The passage in Genesis with father Abraham and son Isaac from which we get the phrase “Jehovah-Jireh” has new meaning has well. God has provided my own son in the flesh to give me new life. Wow! Thank you for your sacrifice, Evan!

This weekend Evan is outside of Vancouver, skiing on Whistler Mountain, site of the 2010 Winter Olympics. Pray with me that he gets home safe! I need that guy!!!