You Have Cancer

“You have cancer.”

Three words I never wanted to hear. As soon as the call ended, questions flooded my mind: What kind? What stage? Can they remove it? How long do I have?

I sat on the edge of my bed, stunned. I needed to tell someone. My first thought was Al, my partner and soulmate. He was prepping for his podcast about Jesus with his family, but I knew I had to interrupt. He responded just as I had hoped, reassuring me: “It’s okay, babe—we’ll get through this.”

Next, I called my friend Katy, who had faced the same diagnosis. She reminded me of God’s grace, encouraged me not to Google anything, and urged me to call her doctors in New Orleans immediately. By some miracle, I got an appointment within a week. That’s when I began to sense God’s presence in every detail.

The first doctor I saw—my plastic surgeon—turned out to be from north Louisiana, shared a mutual friend, and had even supported our family’s film, The Blind. Coincidence? Not a chance. I saw clearly who was fighting this battle with me.

Then we met my surgical oncologist. He spent over an hour patiently explaining the plan, sketching diagrams on napkins. I felt certain I was in the right hands—God’s hands.

On May 23, 2024, my surgeons performed a bilateral mastectomy with a tummy tuck, using my own tissue for reconstruction. Incredibly, my plastic surgeon had invented this very procedure. Just one week later, I heard the words I had been longing for: “You are cancer-free.”

Now, as a Christian woman who’s walked through this fire, my faith is stronger, and my heart is more compassionate. I’ve been given a new ministry to connect with women around the world facing similar battles.

To every woman who will listen, I share the promise from Psalm 143:8 that God will show us the way to go as we entrust him with our lives.

I’m still healing, still learning, but I know who holds my future.

By Lisa Robertson

We never know what trials we will face each day, but we choose to trust in the one who created us and gave us life. We never fight our battles alone. He will always be with us. Be a beacon of light to others along this journey.