A cancer survivor shares grace truths he learned through the years, truths he continues to lean on.

“Hi, Jim. This is Heidi. Doctor Girolami asked me to call to share your test results.”

I took a deep breath.

Because I was having issues swallowing some foods, a gastroenterologist had performed an endoscopy three days before. The week before I had had a barium swallow test and a CT scan.

I’ve been in remission from prostate cancer for nearly a decade. There was no reason to suspect my swallowing issue had anything to do with cancer returning, but that was the direction my mind raced.

My chances of another cancer forming, though low, are higher than for the average person. The cure for one cancer can, over time, spawn other cancers. Radiation of the prostate can cause bladder cancer, rectal cancer, small intestine cancer, melanoma, and endocrine tumors. Prostate cancer may also spread the disease to the spine, hips, and ribs.

Heidi continued, sounding both clinical and caring. “The endoscopy found evidence of some damage to your lower esophagus due to stomach acid. The swallow test did not find anything to be concerned about. The CT scan did not discover any problems with your esophagus, but there are four potential issues. There is a section of the artery that leads to your stomach that is larger than normal. A small amount of plaque is accumulating in your arteries. The scan shows several small nodules are growing in your lungs. And your spine shows signs of arthritis.”

The arthritis I knew about. Three years before I had been hobbled by lower back pain. My doctor ordered a CT scan to check my spine for bone cancer. No cancer was detected; arthritis was.

The enlarged artery, plaque, and nodules were new information.

I rarely consider the chances of cancer returning. However, while waiting for the results of medical tests, thoughts of a second cancer bully their way to the fore. I am grateful for that.

That may seem strange. Here is how it works. The threat of cancer invites me to snuggle into the grace truths I learned during my years in the shadow of cancer.

My gracious father, not cancer, controls my life

The most important grace truth is that Jesus guarantees my adoption as God’s child. The full and free love that brought Jesus to the cross guarantees that my wise and powerful Father will never fail to guide me toward heaven. He promises to save me from “the deadly pestilence” because “his faithfulness will be [my] shield and rampart” (Psalm 91:3,4). True, he may choose to save me from the pestilence of cancer by bringing me to heaven. That is a more spectacular victory than defeating cancer in my body.

Cancer gives me more reasons to praise my father

Because of grace, the threat of cancer has given me more reasons to “rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

You did notice the words “always” and “all” in that passage, right? “Give thanks in all circumstances.” Give thanks for a cancer diagnosis, for the journey toward death that cancer fuels, for cancer’s pain and uncertainty. Why? Because “this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” My Father has given me every reason always to find joy, always to pray, always to give thanks. That reason is Jesus. His Father—and now my Father—chose cancer to be my traveling companion in the final decades of my life. I don’t need to know why. I only need to know how committed God is to me.

I’ve also found that James 1:2-4 adds another dimension to trusting my Father: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds.” The reason for joy in the face of trials? “Because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”

Cancer was good for me. The threat of second cancer is good for me. It teaches me to persevere, to refuse to doubt God’s love for me, to stand firm no matter the forces gathered against me. My Father has used and is using cancer to pull me more firmly into his arms, to teach me to trust his Calvary commitment, and to transform me into a son who is “mature and complete,” a son who recognizes he is “not lacking anything.”

Cancer enhances my ability to live as God’s child

A cancer diagnosis doesn’t diminish my ability to live as God’s child—much the opposite. Despite what cancer can take away, my Father’s grace provides more reason to serve him.

I treasure Scripture verses like 2 Corinthians 9:8: “God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

No matter the circumstances, “God is able to bless you abundantly.” No matter the physical weakness and pain, “God is able to bless you abundantly.” No matter the outcome, “God is able to bless you abundantly.”

I pair that passage with Ephesians 2:10: “We are God’s handiwork.” God has created us for unique purposes in his kingdom. He “created [us] in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” God has always known what life would be like on this planet and in our nation during 2025. That’s why he created and prepared talented and gifted Christians to represent him here. That’s why he allowed some of us to live out our gospel joy while we have cancer.

Without cancer, I would never have adequately understood what other cancer patients are enduring. Without cancer, I never would have shared my faith with oncologists, nurses, and medical technicians. Without cancer, I never would have written this article. Without cancer, I never would have been prepared for the good he created for me to accomplish in his name.

My time on earth is limited, yet impactful

For much of my life, I viewed death as a real but faraway possibility. Cancer convinced me I had that wrong. The wonders of heaven are only a breath away. My transfer there is inevitable. In the meantime, God has a moment-by-moment reason for me to be here.

I don’t have time to fritter away on issues of lower importance. Urgent but minor matters may scream for attention, but only issues with lasting impact should matter. Life is too short for the unimportant to dominate.

I’m a cancer survivor

“I’m a cancer survivor,” I told Heidi. “Is there any evidence of cancer returning?”

“No,” she assured me. “But a year from now we will schedule you for another endoscopy and CT scan. We’ll check for any changes.”

I would have preferred a different way forward, one without cancer threats. My Father has a better route. His route keeps the risk of cancer as my traveling companion. Much better, his route includes his “goodness and love” that “will follow me all the days of my life.” And on just the right day his route will bring me to “dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23:6).

“Heidi, thank you for calling today,” I said. “you have been a blessing.”

Author: James Aderman
Volume 112, Number 02
Issue: February 2025

Chasing away the complaints

James Aderman recently wrote the book God, Can I Complain? to take a scriptural look at the grief and anguish Christians experience in suffering and explore how God’s grace transforms those into peace and hope. This excerpt highlights the importance of staying in the Word—especially during times of trouble.

Our Father’s voice chases away the complaints and welcomes us into his arms. In this Word we are reminded, “Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail” (Lamentations 3:22).

The more we study his Word, the more we are assured “that in all things God works for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28). The reason for that assurance? God’s commitment to us in his Son. “I am convinced,” Paul writes, “that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38,39).

While driving to and from chemotherapy, I usually listened to the Psalms on CD. My Father’s gracious voice calmed me, refocused my thinking, and replaced thoughts of whining with thoughts of winning. “Be still, and know that I am God,” he would say. “I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” How could I complain? Rather, I sang with the sons of Korah, “The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress” (Psalm 46:10,11).

Listen to yourself when you complain. Then meditate on our Father’s Word. The Spirit will force the lies that drive your complaints into the light. Then acknowledge the lies, repent of them, and claim Jesus’ forgiveness.

From God, Can I Complain?, pp. 32,34,35.

Read a review of Aderman’s book and two others in the When Cancer Comes series at forwardinchrist.net/when-cancer-comes.
Order the book.