Tomorrow Is Hope
I, like most, had a best friend in junior high with whom I did everything. We hung out at our homes together and we shared common interests — like our Macintosh Plus games and science fiction movies. We had a saying or a motto that we said all the time and inscribed on our notebooks: “Tomorrow is hope.” I’m not sure where that originated from, but I have recently been thinking of that motto. It is probably because I have been under increased suffering lately.
Romans 5:3-4 — More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.
So: with increased suffering comes increased hope. And hope in the New Testament is the assurance of something not yet fully experienced. Hope is not just wishful thinking. And my hope is increasingly in being healed of this blasted cancer.
I am NOT doing chemotherapy this week. This was a difficult decision to come to, but I have great peace about it. The cancer continues to grow in my abdomen and is getting worse. The chemo drugs are not effective there. So there is no value to my doing chemo. My liver remains dormant, as far as we can tell. Surgery is not an option for my abdomen due to the degraded state of my liver. So this is all to say this: medically speaking, there is nothing more available for me.
But I have hope. Hope of healing. While healing may not be possible with medicine, I remain convinced that healing is possible with God. I am completely under His control and believe that God is in complete control over everything. I would not serve or follow or even believe in a god that was not in complete control over everything.
This upcoming Sunday, my story will be used at NewSpring. I do not pretend to know if or when God would choose to heal me. But this Sunday would be awesome. Please join me in prayer for God to heal my cancer. If you would like to follow along, go to NewSpring’s Web Service at 11:15AM Eastern, 2PM Eastern, or 6PM Eastern on Sunday.
Praying for complete healing Zac! Thank you for the blog, and being vulnerable enough to share your struggles with others.
Thanks for the update Zachary. I’ll be watching and praying on Sunday morning. And yes, we believe in a God of Hope. Whatever it is He gives, we receive. Thanks again for the great post. Love you bud.
Praying daily for your healing, Zac! I’ll definitely be watching the New Spring’s Web Service! You’re such an inspiration of hope!
Keeping you in my prayers Zac. I’m blessed by your positive attitude and your willingness to share your story with others.
I got you bro
DUDE I AM TOTALLY BELIEVING AND PRAYING FOR YOUR HEALING!!!
Still praying for you and your family my friend.
said a prayer for you zac, hope god takes your cancer away
So happy to be here with you and am looking forward to Sunday. I am praying for you and Mandy and Lizzy and Jake and Luke. I am blessed to see your constant faith in our loving God and your consistent attitude of trust and hope. I love you very much.
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful!!!! (Hebrews 10:23) Praying and hoping for your healing often, Zac, and trusting in the God who loves us more than we can even begin to imagine, that He will do amazingly more. See you soon, Zac.
I will be praying for your miracle, Sunday would be nice. I know God heals and that his plans are always good, my prayer is God’s best for you and your whole family, soon.
Praying for healing Zach. Yesterday, you and your wife were on my mind and heart. I was thinking how I had not heard anything recently, but knew from experience that no news did not mean that everything was okay. I have been praying extra for Mandy. I can understand alot of what she is dealing with. Zach, you are a blessing to many people in spite of all that you are going through. Hang in there! We are praying daily for you and your family.
Zac, we are praying and are convinced that God is still in the business of miracles. We pray that for you.
You are such a blessing to my family and we are praying for your healing. Thank you for teaching us how to live a life that depends completely on God. We will be watching and praying for a miracle Sunday.
Praying for you brother! I got your back
Praying for you in Springfield, Mo.
Boo cancer, Yay God. It’s a privilege to pray for you Zac.
I would have loved to see you at the Throw Down man. It was great fun.
I’m praying for you. Check my latest blog.
P.S. I told Mackle I would whip his skinny ass if he shamed you.
Love
Ozzy
Zac!
I will be praying for you along with some other Whiskerooni’s.
I am praying for you bro. God is bigger then this.
Praying. Believing.
Hey Zach (BaldBeard), from one of your whiskerino brethren, I just wanted to tell you how much of an inspiration you have been. I have always believed in miracles and spiritual healing, and I certainly believe God can do it for you. I will be praying for you brother, and know that all of the beards are in your corner. Good Luck on Sunday, Preston aka Presto Beardo
Zac, you’re incredibly brave to be even talking so boldly about your process through all of this. I know God is totally capable of healing you; I had leukemia when I was a kid and am fully rid of it at 28.
I pray that God brings healing and strength to your body and that you see a ripe old age.
Creole from Whiskerino here brother…
I don’t pretend to understand how the Lord, in his sovereign fashion, can allow these things to happen. I do believe however, as you do, that he is in control of all things. Your life is an influence, and an inspiration to many. Should God choose to take you home, I pray that your death, and the way in which you accept it, might influence even more people.
One of my favorite authors, Stephen R. Lawhead (a Christian author) wrote a book called Merlin which featured this prayer. It seems appropriate for your situation.
Great Light, Mover of all that is moving and at rest, be my Journey and my far Destination, be my Want and my Fulfilling, be my Sowing and my Reaping, be my glad Song and my stark Silence. Be my Sword and my strong Shield,be my Lantern and my dark Night, be my everlasting Strength and my piteous Weakness. Be my Greeting and my parting Prayer, be my bright Vision and my Blindness, be my Joy and my sharp Grief, be my sad Death and my sure Resurrection.
Joel Krage wasn’t it? Still praying and thinking of you and your family. I use your inspiration, faith and assurance in class to my students as much as I can.
Jp, Ruth, Jackson, and #2 in July
Just think…it’s an entire “Unchemo Week Celebration” snatched back. Enjoy it, and all the rest to come! Zaxmom, I hope you don’t mind if I have temporarily adopted him…couldn’t help myself. It was God’s idea it seems…He’s quite the special Boy. The miracles have already begun.
joining you in this petition to our Father..
Just watching your story now… absolutely wonderful… to God be the glory…
Praying for you and your family!
Can we get the link to the video to share? I’d like to share it on my facebook…
Thank you all for the prayers; video will be up soon!
Estoy segura de que Dios tiene un proposito muy grande en tu vida y de las personas que te rodean. Estare orando por ti y que Dios te bendiga
Dear Zac,
We were at the 6pm service on Sunday night. It was wonderful to be a part of the church that rallied around you to pray for healing. You have obeyed God at so many levels. We have complete confidence that others will come to know the God that you know so intimately, because of your obedience. We shared your video on facebook friends so you will have people praying for your healing that you’ve never met.
May God bless you and your family.
In Christ,
Cheryl
Zac and family,
My husband Mark and I had the honor of being part of the Care Team that prayed with people at NewSpring Greenville after hearing your story this Sunday. One of the men Mark got to pray with gave his life to Christ… he crossed over from death to life, and I know that God used your story to help him get there! I praise God for people like you Zac, to walk this path takes strength only God can give. Thousands of prayers are going up for you and I fully expect a miracle. Thank you for sharing your story with me. God bless you and your beautiful family!
mandylane
We at Calvary Bellflower love you and your family and pray for God’s will in your life. You’re carrying a great message. God loves us always, and we see it clearer when it’s darkest. Shelby says hi to Lizzy.
Very touched by your testimony. I sent you a tweet also. I love NewSpring Church and Perry Noble. Even though I have been in the ministry for 27 years and I am now 54, God has taught me as an old ministry dog many new and valuable lessons through Perry’s ministry. Zach…I pray God makes you a great trophy of His glory! I pray God heals you. I am praying for your family also. When I was in the 5th grade my father was killed, drunk in the wrong place and shot in the back. I know how much that hurts to lose your dad, so from that standpoint I am praying for you with great passion! Several years ago (1990) my mother was diagnosed with colon cancer. She is now blessed to be 91 years old and lives with my family. My grandmother died of colon cancer when I was a boy. One of my uncles on my mom’s side died also from colon cancer. Now I have full scopes every 5 years because of my family history. I have 3 children, two grown and one almost, yet I cannot imagine having to leave them this early in life. I know you wrestle this also. So know this, I am praying hard for you. If you ever need to send out additional requests for prayer support you can do so through our church website (www.day3church.com) or just send an email with my name attached as approving of your request to day3share@charter.net. God bless you man!
Zac,
You have been on our church’s prayer list from the beginning. We know God’s Ways are not our ways, and we can’t begin to understand why. This one thing we know, God will give healing, or He will give grace. We count your family (through your grandfather) as special friends in the Lord, and will continue to pray.
Karen Whittall