TITLE: Faith On the Choping Block January 13, 2015 By Yolanda Payne 01/15/15 |
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A positive mammogram in 1990 turned Mary’s world upside down and forced her to reexamine her faith. Her faith was placed on the chopping block and found wanting. Let me explain.
After reviewing the results of a mammogram, Mary’s doctor informed her that a lump in her left breast had been revealed. Her doctor asked her to see a surgeon. Mary gave the mammogram results to the surgeon.
The one thing that every woman dreads had happened to her. A lump was found in her left breast. Alarm bells rang in her head with the message, “you are going to die”. She was afraid and asked her mother to go with her and her mother readily agreed. On the scheduled day of her appointment Mary’s mother informed her she was unable to go with her and Mary went alone.
The surgeon was very pleasant. He indicated he wanted her to have a Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scan (MRI) performed because the lump was very small, and he was unable to make a decision. After studying the results of her mammogram and MRI, the surgeon explained that the lump was very, very small, and he did not want to make a diagnosis based upon a mammogram and MRI. He wanted to wait and examine her again in six months. She was relieved because she did not want a biopsy because of her fear of what a biopsy would reveal. When she was a girl in rural Louisiana, women often went into the hospital to have biopsies and left with at least one less breast. She did not want to be come one of those women.
Each night she prayed to God and asked Him to remove the lump. On the day of her appointment to see the surgeon she decided that if a biopsy was necessary she would accept it and allow it to be performed. The surgeon told her the lump was disappearing. He advised her to come back in six months and if the lump was gone he would release her. Mary was overjoyed and felt a sense of relief.
During the drive home she repeatedly thanked God for removing the lump. The Holy Spirit began to speak to Mary. He referred to her reaction at the surgeon’s office. Mary went into the resigned to have a biopsy performed but she left the office with thanks. The Holy Spirit reminded her of her prayer to God. Although she prayed and asked God to remove the lump, she did not experience a sense of release at the end of her prayer. She only received a sense of relief after the surgeon told her the lump had disappeared. Where was her faith when she prayed? Did she believe God would heal her or did seek confirmation from the doctor before she actually believed that God would heal? She was forced to examine her faith in God and His word. After a thorough examination she acknowledged that that her faith was weak She asked God to increase her faith.
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