Many times over the years, I’ve heard Christians say that
the Good News is only good because the bad news is so bad! Simple, yet profound.
Throughout my CLL journey, I have seen many correlations
between the physical and the spiritual.
This concept is no exception.
Without having received the bad news that I have the most aggressive type
of CLL, the good news that a stem cell transplant could provide a second lease
on life would not have been pertinent.
If we were not sinners permanently separated from God with
no hope of accessing Him on our own, the good news of salvation through Jesus
would be a waste of time.
“This
righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.
There
is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall
short
of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through
the redemption
that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,
through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.”
Romans 3:22-25
“As it is written: "There is no one
righteous, not even one.”
Romans 3:10
“Nor is there salvation in any other, for
there is no other name under heaven
given among men by which we must be saved.”
Acts 4:12
“For it is by grace you have been saved,
through faith—and this is not from yourselves,
it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth,
and the life.
No
one comes to the Father except through Me.’”
John 14:6
I have been reading several books by Robert Whitlow. I am currently reading The List. A young attorney (read the book for background:) is being drawn to the Lord while being
drawn away by an unseen evil. He
had been reared in a home that “went to church” some. But he came to realize that knowing stuff about God is not the same as having a personal relationship with the God of all.
It equates to my transplant. I can study and learn all about allogeneic stem cell
transplants, but until I actually experience
one, it will just be head knowledge.
The only way that the transplant can save my life is to have one. Just reading
about it won’t work.
Yesterday, we went back to MD Anderson for my blood work,
bone marrow biopsy, and to meet with the leukemia team. We didn’t learn much other than
whatever decision is made Wednesday regarding the timing of my transplant, I
should expect to continue taking the Campath until the details revolving the
transplant are complete. That way
I won’t lose ground. Tomorrow we
will find out the details.
I also learned that I am, indeed, still very
immuno-compromised and need to be a good girl. Even though the Neupogen increases my neutrophil count, my
T-cells are being hammered by the Campath and I am at risk for infection. So I will need to adhere a bit more
strictly to the rules. :/
Compared to the Good News of salvation, there are no
guarantees with the transplant. I
am so thankful that with God, there are.
My
sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
I
give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch
them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater
than all;
no
one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.
John 10:27-30
“In all
these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
For I am convinced
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 8:37-39
Think on these things. Selah.
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