Author & Counselor Karen Tripp Relates Christine's TRUE Story

My guest today is Author and Counselor Karen Tripp. I met her in St Louis in June at the International Christian Retailers Show. We caught lunch together by serendipity! BE SURE to leave a comment, an answer to my question! Karen has offered to send an autographed copy of her book, GOD IS BIGGER THAN YOU CANCER!

Here's Karen:


"In writing God is Bigger Than Your Cancer, God led me to many amazing stories of people drawing closer to Christ through their cancer struggle. Christina’s strength and bravery take my breath away.

“At age 35, with three daughters under the age of 5, my husband Stephen and I were told I had breast cancer. Following a lumpectomy, the preliminary reports said the cancer was gone. Four months later, we found out I was pregnant with our fourth child.

The doctor told me two days later that I was never cancer-free. An unseen final report had said the cancer was still there. For the health of our child, chemotherapy, radiation or a mastectomy was not an option -- neither was an abortion. Yet at 16 weeks pregnant, the tumor in my breast had grown so large, I had no choice. I had to begin chemotherapy.

Now I’m wondering if I heard God wrong when I first refused chemotherapy or when I decided not to abort my child. Despite my doubts and confusion, at 32 weeks we were miraculously blessed with a beautifully healthy son, Alex.

After ten months of coping with a mastectomy and radiation, I prepared for my last reconstructive surgery. In my pre-surgical blood work-up, they discovered I was pregnant again. Stephen and I were in total disbelief. From day one I worried about the effects of my earlier chemo treatments on this child. In quiet moments I found myself asking God to take this child. My doubts and confusion were back.

At 5 months pregnant, I woke up one morning with excruciating pain across the top of my back. My cancer had returned – this time to my bones. With that news, I just crumbled inside. I was told, with an abortion and aggressive chemotherapy, I might live 2 years.

Even though Stephen knew he could soon become a single father with 4 children, he felt adamantly against an abortion. I was frightened and felt God had left me. I pleaded and begged God to take this child so I wouldn’t have to. I wanted action, and I wanted it now. I even called an abortion clinic at one point. I thought if I could just take that pill, people would think I miscarried. But then Jesus spoke to me. “The devil wanted your son Alex, just like he wants the one in your womb.” I sobbed, knowing it was true.

I knew later it really was Jesus who spoke to me, because He totally changed my heart. Thoughts of abortion were gone. I lived each remaining day of the pregnancy with complete joy that I was pregnant.

After our healthy son Austin was delivered prematurely, my cancer battle continued. The cancer had spread. My head knew that God was in control, but I worried and acted like it all depended on me.

I finally understood that God doesn’t wait for us to do the right thing so He can make His will happen. God’s will is supreme, with or without us. We need to seek His will, but He doesn’t need us to complete His plans.
God can take everything, even our mistakes, and use them for His will. We don’t have to walk a perfect walk. When we really get it in our heart and in our head that God’s in charge, it takes the pressure off of us.

Alex is now 4 and Austin is 2. My doctors said I was supposed to be dead over a year ago. I’m not cancer-free and I’m trying to make the best decisions I can. It’s easier now because I have given control to God. I know He can use me, even in the midst of my mistakes.” Summarized from God is Bigger Than Your Cancer.
http://Godisbiggerthan.com

5. http://ktripp.com/blog

6. Christina’s rest of the story is at http://Godisbiggerthan.com/cancer-rest-of-the-stories/

Lyn here: That story puts all my "troubles" into perspective. How about you? What would you say to Christine?

Marlo Schalesky--If Sarah, Why Not Me?

Today another writing friend shares a story. This time it's her story.
Here's Marlo:

"Infertility. Most of my adult life, I fought it. It’s challenged my faith, robbed my bank account, and in the end, made me into a stronger, braver woman. From it, I’ve written a nonfiction book on infertility, Empty Womb, Aching Heart, and several novels. But none of that would have happened if I hadn’t remembered Sarah.

For years friends and family would say “Remember Sarah!” to encourage me to have faith. Rebecca, Rachel, Hannah, Elizabeth--God opened their wombs, but mine was still closed. Didn’t I have enough faith? So, my Bible sat on the shelf, unopened, my prayer journal lay unused, and my attendance at church dwindled.

Then, one day I was cleaning out the closet when I found a small journal with peonies on the front. I sat on the floor, with my back against the closet door, and rubbed one hand over the first page. “Junior Year,” it read in big purple letters, my favorite color. I flipped to about half way through and began to read.


I saw the sunrise today, Lord. It was amazing. I wish I could say that I saw it because I was up early to pray, but as You know, I had to pull an all-nighter to get that paper done. But it was worth it to see the streaks of orange, red, and gold at the dawn of a new day. I stood there and thought to myself, I know the One who made that sunrise. The same One who lives in me. You know, I can feel You there, Lord, in my heart. Some days, like today, Your love is a tangible thing, like a warm blanket that wraps around my insides. In these moments, I feel like I could shout to the stars about what an awesome, incredible, super-wow God You are. I can’t believe there was ever a time when I turned my back on You. What a fool I was. But everything’s different now, God. My life, my heart, is filled with the wonder of knowing You. I’ll never forget this feeling. I’ll never forget to keep loving You. I promise . . .


Tears came to my eyes. I’d lost something more precious than my hope for a child. I’d lost my closeness with God. And that had made my heart even emptier than my womb. Yet, I could still feel the anger at God that was lodged in my heart like a huge stone, burying me in my self-made tomb. How could I ever get past my pain?

I rose from the floor and began to write.


God, it’s me, you know, the one who keeps asking you for a baby. Well, I’m so mad at You I could just spit . . .

That long, slow journey back to God is also reflected in Kinna the main character in If Tomorrow Never Comes. She, too, finds a new kind of strength and sacrifice through her journey through infertility.


Only when I surrendered all my dreams, doubts, and difficulties to God, He gave me two daughters, and after miscarriages, twin boys.
All God asks is that we bring our frustration, fears, anger, and questions to Him. He has big shoulders, as big as the sunrise."

Marlo, I also had to go through infertility and all the nasty tests and dismissive doctors. I am grateful for the son and daughter God gifted me with. Yet sometimes God does not send children. I think however that your story shows that God never abandons us and the true victory is to live within His gracious will for us.