At age thirty-four—married, with two small kids, a full-time job, and one very large dog—cancer was the last thing on my mind.

I was shocked and barely able to speak when the doctor called and said, “breast cancer.” I stayed on the phone long enough to make an appointment before I collapsed in a puddle on the floor, sobbing. But I couldn’t stay there for long. I had children to care for, a household to run, and work obligations. I forced myself to tend to life’s daily chores.

My doctor said the cancer was an aggressive type. I would need a bilateral mastectomy. I was dumbfounded. I was young and healthy and had no family history of breast cancer. How could this possibly happen?

Numb and in a stupor, I told the doctor I needed time to think before I could make any decisions. “One month,” he said. “You can’t put the surgery off longer than a month.” He suggested getting a second surgical opinion and consulting with an oncologist.

After a few weeks of research and second opinions and countless conversations with survivors, family members, and my pastor—and a whole lot of praying—I moved forward in faith and hope and decided to have the surgery.

I set a date for the surgery and spent the next few days getting people trained at work, arranging childcare, and preparing my four-year-old daughter and six-year-old son for my absence. On the day of my surgery, I was calm and ready to get the cancer out of my body. I asked my pastor to come to the hospital that morning and pray Psalm 23 over me. I recited those powerful words over and over. I was nervous, but not afraid. I knew God was with me.

God was also with me in the following months of healing, chemotherapy, nausea, hair loss, and adjusting to my new body.

The psalmist refers to God as our Shepherd. Like a shepherd, God provides strength and protection for His sheep. He is always present, protecting, guiding, and comforting us, even in the darkest days. As a decades-long survivor, I am thankful for God’s presence and protection.

Are you walking through a difficult time? Pray and meditate on Psalm 23. God’s promises are true, and He wants to be your source of peace and rest through the dark valleys of life.  

(Photo courtesy of pixabay and geralt.)

(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)