“What would I do if a bear ate you now?!”

Bill and I had been married for all of 3 days when we had an encounter with nature that revealed my insecurity to my new husband and has given him fodder for teasing over the years. We were enjoying our honeymoon in the wilderness of Alaska. We had arrived at the hunting lodge/honeymoon suite via float plane and had spent the morning rowing across the lake. After docking the boat, my new husband and I were hiking up the hillside to enjoy one of the spectacular views Alaska has to offer. Bill found a wild berry patch and had stopped for a “snack.” Being a city girl, and being well aware of the “bear stories form Alaska” I was concerned we would meet up with such a creature – especially in a berry patch! I mentioned my concerns to Bill (“Let’s go back, Bill, please?”), who brushed them off as being irrational. When we spotted some fresh droppings I just “knew” were bear, I was panicked. In my irrational fear I tried to appeal to his inner call to protect me – “Bill, we’ve only been married for 3 days! What would I do if a bear ate you now!?” His response was typical Bill – “What makes you think the bear would eat me?” I finally whined enough that he gave in and we returned to the boat and rowed back to our “safe” lodge.

34 years later I am faced with another “What would I do if a bear ate you now?” situation. Bill has cancer. It’s a bear of a disease that rears its ugly presence in many people’s lives and to varying degrees. Sometimes it just creeps up on you as you are snacking on the berries of life. My healthy racquetball-playing husband is in great physical shape – most folks don’t realize he is 60 years old! He doesn’t feel bad and isn’t sick. I am the one that is always coming down with colds, flu, whatever bug is in the area. Bill seems to avoid all of those! He is faithful about getting yearly physicals and, other than a few medications to control minor abnormalities, he really is in great shape. When his PSA count came back a bit elevated in August, the doctor wanted to have a biopsy of his prostate. Are these “bear droppings” near our berry patch? “Please Bill, can’t we go back?” Bill had the biopsy done and the results came back – positive for cancer. Wow – I didn’t expect that.

A huge advantage I have now that I didn’t have 34 years ago is a long relationship with The Lord, the creator of all life. I have walked with the Lord and he has proven over and over again how faithful he is – every day and in all times. My days have not been all wine and roses, but my joy is in the Lord, not in my circumstances. I know that God is using all the circumstances in my life to grow me into his child. He is teaching me about himself and his sufficiency in all of life – bears and all.

My husband has cancer. It is not a path I would have chosen for us to walk down, but it is with unwavering faith given by God that I know we do not walk it alone. We have each other, wonderful doctors, good insurance, work places that can work with us, loving and supportive family and friends. But most importantly we have Jehovah Jirah walking before us, beside us and behind us. Jeremiah 29:11 says “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord….to give you a future and a hope.” We put our days in the Lord’s hands. I know he will be able to conquer all the bears in our path!