Waiting With the What Ifs

My biopsy is at 8:30 in the morning. I decided to write this the night before and I’ll either title it “Benign” or “Cancer” once I get the results. (Keep reading). I’ve had almost a month to sit hand-in-hand with the “what if” of possibly having breast cancer. Not exactly a hand I’ve ever wanted to hold, and I’ve thought often how many other women have held the same hand and maybe how many have wished they’d had someone else to hold their hand in the waiting.
I’ve been leading a Bible study the last three weeks entitled “Wait.” God’s always right on time, isn’t He? Even in the waiting. One thing I’m learning is how waiting well doesn’t always sit well, but God’s right there in it with us, regardless. I’m glad He’s been holding my hand. I’m glad I’ve had thirty-three days straight in His word – a record in my forty-six years – and what a good time to finally take hold, Mer.
When I went back in for a second mammogram, I fully expected to leave there with a “false alarm.” That’s the high stat you hear about. But then I was sitting next to the doctor who showed me the radiograph and said a lot of words that I didn’t understand, except for “indeterminate” and “needle biopsy.” He asked if I had any other questions, and I stumbled over my tongue and said, “So, you’re sure you’re not sure?” or something ridiculous like that. Then the nurse took me out in the hall to wait for the scheduling person. When she turned around and I looked at her, the tears came, and they wouldn’t stop. I felt numb and dumb. She held my arm, tried to soothe me and led me to a cold blue chair that didn’t feel like a hug at all. I looked at the floor mostly, and tried to smile at others passing by. I wondered if the older lady that went in before me got good or bad or “indeterminate” news. I wondered how many people came through here every day and got shuffled around with words that make no sense and news that threw their life out of orbit, if even for a little while.
One word can change everything. So can the Word.
I’ve been reading about the heroes of our faith, as the writer of Hebrews called them. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joshua. Moses and the Israelites. I can relate to so many of their struggles. Their lack of faith, their doubts, their fears. And the lesser ones – especially Hagar – when she felt seen by God, so did I.
God’s word has breathed life into me these last few weeks. I honestly don’t know how I would have waited so well without it. I honestly don’t know how I’ve lived so long without eating it daily.
I’m not saying I haven’t been anxious. I’ve had moments. My mind has gone down all the roads…How would we pay for it? Is there a price on your health? I’d never forfeit my kid’s inheritance because I got cancer. I could die in a plane crash this week. Then it wouldn’t matter anyway. Well, if I do have cancer, it would be early stage. I could get a mastectomy and then hopefully it wouldn’t come back. What about lymph nodes? I’ve always thought I would get breast cancer, since it runs in both sides of my family. Sure thought it would be my heart that gave up first, though. Even if it’s benign this time, it probably won’t be next time. Even if I have it, it’s not a death sentence. Even if it is, I’m ok with death. Yeah, I’ve had some thoughts.
In the past few weeks, I’ve read over fifteen Psalms. I’ve seen David on the mountaintops and in the pit, and I’ve related. His faith has become my faith. Not because of what He went through but because He’s reminded me of what I’ve tasted and seen of God myself. All the times He’s seen me through to the other side. I know my Redeemer lives and He’s never let me down. He can’t. It’s not in His character. It’s not who He is.
I know no matter what the title of this post becomes, I’m no less held by my God.
I know no matter what, I’m no less loved by my God.
I know no matter what, He will make me well. Here or in Heaven.
I know no matter what, He will provide.
I know no matter what, He will protect.
I know no matter what, He will give me peace that makes no sense.
I know no matter what, God is with me and with Him is the only place I want to be.
Forever and ever, amen.
*****
It’s now the morning of my biopsy and I’m back home. Sometimes, doctors have to regroup, which means we have to regroup. I get to see a surgeon and have a full biopsy now. Some time, but not yet. And I trust this is the way The Way wants this to go.
When God says “not yet,” we get to choose how we wait.
So, I’ll keep leaning in and leaning on Him. I don’t know a better option, because I know the I Am and He is the only option.
I think I’ll hit publish and put this in the world sooner than I had planned. Because my plans never fail to fail, but His plans never do. I can’t help but think someone else is in the waiting and needs to know they aren’t alone. If just one reads this and feels encouraged, I wrote it for just one. And maybe the one was me.
57 responses to “When God Says "Not Yet."”
I am praying Meredith!
Thanks sweet lady. Also praying for you as you head to surgery tomorrow. 🙏🤍
God puts people in our paths at the right time! 🙏🏻
Agree!
Praying for you Meredith. I am in a waiting period for the last 17 months. I have long Covid and don’t know how/when I will get back to full functionality. I have reconnected with God and am finding more peace as I do what I can each day. Thanks for your writing.
I’m sorry you have been suffering for so long, and I’m so glad you’re finding your way back to peace with God. It’s what sustains. Praying for you!
Hi Kathryn, I’m sorry you’re going thru it – I too was knocked down from long covid (post viral syndrome, Dysautonomia with POTS). It’s been the hardest 3 years of my life, but it has brought me so much closer to God that now I can honestly say “it is well with my soul”. The last year I’ve gone from bed bound to functional again (not 100% YET, but I will get there if it’s God’s will). I pray for your healing, complete and total healing in the name of Jesus! Hugs to you sister. If you need someone to talk to (write to) you can email me at ec20059@gmail.com
Praying for you Meredith. The Peace of our Lord be with you.
Thanks Ken!
Love that. He’s right here!
Praying for you also. In faith.
Thank you!
Praying for you❤️
Thank you so much xx
Praying for you Meredith in the waiting and beyond. Thank you for sharing. ❤️
Thank you!
Praying for you!
Thank you!
Oh sweet girl – I will be lifting you in prayer. Waiting is so so hard but you know that you know the only One that can help. Your message was timely as I’m in the midst of what was looking to be an overwhelming amount of family issues”
(I posted without finishing my thought.) Thank you of the reminder that in every situation, we need to turn to Jesus. He will be with us and for us … always. 💜
Hi Meredith. Thank you for sharing and being so raw and honest about your physical and spiritual experience. I’m praying with you for full and complete healing in any area that you might need. Thanks for the words of encouragement. Your words were meant for more than just one. God bless you. Keep writing.
Thank you for being here and saying so. Publishing something like this is a little scary. I don’t want to seem like I’m attention grabbing, but I do want to bring attention to trusting God in all the things we face and I just know there are others out there facing similar situations. I appreciate your words of encouragement!
Hi Meredith! I know exactly what you mean. Sometimes, I struggle to open up about what I’m going through because I worry it’ll seem like I just want attention and I tell myself I should just deal with it on my own. But lately, I’ve been learning that reaching out for help and being open about my experiences isn’t a bad thing—it actually gives others the chance to truly know me.
I’ve also been realizing that getting attention and seeking attention aren’t the same. When our hearts are set on making God’s name known and loving Him and others, the Holy Spirit takes care of how our words and actions impact people. If you hadn’t shared this, I wouldn’t have had that little nudge from the Holy Spirit reminding me that God sees me. You followed His lead, and it led me to see Him move.
Thank you for sharing this and for letting us see your heart. I’m really proud of you.
I am praying for you and your family. “Footprints in the sand” is one of my go to readings during hard times. I believe our Father will carry you through this.
Yes, that’s a beautiful poem. We had that on the wall in our home growing up. Thank you for the encouragement.
I will be praying for you xxx
Thank you ❤️
GOD WILL MAKE A WAY! When there seems to be no way… he will make a way for me. As I was reading your post, this music is playing softly in the background. My heart is heavy for you my friend, knowing your faith is strong and The One who makes all things good in His perfect time. Praying for complete healing and peace that surpasses all understanding. In Jesus Name. Amen
Thank you so much, Natalie. Your words bring peace and I know God will continue to no matter way. I’m in Exodus in my daily reading and seeing yesterday again how he provided a way for the Israelites was so encouraging. He is a mighty God! Thank you, thank you.
I’ve been watching your videos since day one, and I still make your biscuits. My journey with God has been an on going trip, my 26 year old son had us in church yesterday he’s just starting his journey. God does see us and hear us. Keep your faith strong for whatever comes. We out here are praying for you and your family. God be with you. Joanne
Bless your heart, you make my biscuits?! I need a refresher haha. So thankful God never leaves us and always welcomes us back. I pray your son keeps growing closer to Him. Thank you for your prayers!
Meredith, I have been following you on YouTube since the beginning. I have watched your faith in God increase and the same with your family. My prayer for you is to have peace in the waiting. Comfort in knowing whatever the outcome, God has a plan. Thank you for using your platform for hope and goodness. I have laughed and cried with you through the years. And now I will continue to pray right beside you. Much love, Jen Mock
Thank you, Jennifer. 🥹 It means so much to know you’ve seen the journey thus far and that you see God moving. I know He is! Thank you for praying me through this. Please let me know how I can pray for you.
You are too kind to ask for my prayer request in the midst of all you are dealing with. I have an extremely stressful job. I know God provided the job for me, I just have to learn to do my best and walk away. 😊 It will all be there tomorrow. I remind myself often, Matthew 6:34 and Joshua 1:3-9. Much love my sister.
It’s hard to leave things at work. I’ve been there. Keep pressing into Him. 🙏🤍
As Ruth was blessed to glean even among the sheaves and found handfuls of purpose; may you also find yourself abiding in the Lord’s love, your strength restored and that your joy would be full. May God’s healing hand touch your body; bring peace to your soul and always abide in his love. Praying for you and your family. May his mercy and grace always be plentiful so that we might taste and see that the Lord he is good.
What a beautiful prayer. Thank you!
Yes, best advice. It’s a daily giving away. Much like the constant dying to self to gain more of Him. Thank you for your words of encouragement and being here. <3
Praying for you, Meredith.
Thank you, Stacy xx
I have had the diagnosis of Cancer. I was 35 years old and cancer did not run in my family. I was scared. I had two young daughters and a young son at the time. It was probably harder on my husband because he had lost family members to cancer. I was diagnosis with Non-Hopkins Lymphoma. It was in my arm bone. I really leaned on God to help me through, and He did. I have now been in remission for 22 years, Praise God!!! He is a good God and nothing is wasted with Him. He will see you though. I am praying for you.
I can’t imagine facing that so young and with young children. Praise God for your remission! Thank you for holding my hand in prayer. xx
Thank you for your beautiful words….I can relate. Just last month I had to have a endometrial biopsy. After all the many swirling thoughts ….. all I could do was lay at His feet because the weight was too heavy. I pray you get the news I got….benign. I will be praying for you sweet sister. You are a light in this broken world, which I am thankful for. God bless you and heal you completely, in Jesus’s name, Amen!
I’m so glad you got that news! I’ll keep you posted. Thanks for being in the wait with me ❤️
Prayed for you and your family durning this time. Have been there, when I was told I had cancer and went through all the tests I kept it all to myself and turned to God. Made me a journal all of God’s promises. Carried with me to all the tests and had with me the day of the surgery. I did finally tell family and friends once I had all the details and the surgery was scheduled. But I needed that time to work it all out for myself
God was there with me through it all and I never felt like I was going through it alone.
Thank you for sharing your faith. Has been a blessing in my life. Prayers! 🤗
Thank you for sharing your heart and life with us, Meredith! I will be praying for you as you walk this road and while you wait. I am not in the same type of waiting room but waiting on the Waymaker to work his way in some family/relationship matters. Thank you for the reminders that He is God, He is Peace, He is Love – so all is well.
All waiting rooms are similar, though, aren’t they? Praying our Waymaker parts the sea for your relationships. That is so very hard to walk through. Yes, in Him all is truly well. Hugs. xx
Learn how to make essiac tea.
“I know my Redeemer lives and He’s never let me down” is so powerful! Thank you for reminding us that we can wait on God with faith.
I’m praying for you Meredith! I’m so sorry you are having to walk this hard road. May you experience God’s grace and peace like never before in the waiting! ❤️
Oh, Meredith! Thank you for sharing your story. I am on a cancer journey with my husband right now, and my latest post speaks to some of these same themes. Praise God for His peace that we can always access no matter what’s going on in the world. Hugs!!
Well, I’m a little speechless. I just sat and read every one of your posts tonight. Pretty sure God put you in my feed today. Or whatever it’s called here.
We seem to have parallel lives in some ways, plus we are both swoony about alliteration LIKE ALL THE COOL KIDS ARE.
My needle biopsy was six months ago and the results were similarly inconclusive. Might be fine, might not, let’s wait a year and see. Easy for them to say. Hmpf.
Anyway… you’re understood. That’s all I wanted to say. You’re understood.
At 53 I had to have a total hysterectomy and they took many lymp nodes as well. I had the wonderful support of my husband and daughter and most of all, my Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ, who guided the doctors and gave them much wisdom and His daily presence gave me hope and peace. Today I celebrated my 67th birthday with my family and although I do not have the energy I should, I’m so very grateful to be here. God is awesome and yes, the waiting is a testing time, the recovery can be long, but Jesus is with us and gives us loving people and great medical personnel and procedures to help us. God is always good, no matter we can trust Him. 💜🙏
I have trouble finding my own comments but I’m pretty sure I probably told you this. I died in 1998. I popped out of my body, I had no more lungs. I was trying to make the breathing sound as I was staring at my own body on the couch. Dad and I was floating just a few feet off the floor…. Trying to make that breathing sound didn’t work because I had no lungs… it freaked me out a little bit, realizing I was more live out of my body than I was when I was normal in the body… turning my head around and seeing everybody, staring at myself on the couch, freaking out because it was the middle of a party with DJs, spinning in the apartment on a Monday afternoon after going to clubs for the whole weekend in Manhattan… then I started floating sideways through the wall. I had no control over where I was going. I saw the cell structure of the bricks as I passed through them out over the street on first Avenue near Houston. I was in awe that this was happening, heavy lead blanket, wrapped around my lower, half and whisked me downward sideways into pitch blackness wear a stinging compression feeling of some kind, absolutely horrific for a second or two, and I screamed NO, and thrusted upward, and a Crystaline tube, a tornado made out of the most brilliant lit up colored material like every kind of Gem and stone and glass known to mankind and from another planet materials unseen on this earth, absolutely a tornado made out of this stuff.. sucked me up, must’ve been the speed of sound for about eight seconds until I ended up in the clouds in front of two majestic men with someone I knew from earth standing between them slightly
in front… the men were twins… the thickest layered wool like hair, white robes, big eyes, big noses, big lips floating in some kind of box with leaves above them around them on their laps, I think… they do not look happy, and they just stared at me… I was told by the person standing between them. Congratulations., and when I pointed to the fact that I realized that person was like an angel sent to protect me and my friends, us, the person said not us, you, and you can go back now. And I was sent back into my body. This kind of flipped me out. It was in my head for decades…. I might have told some people about it… in 91 a fortuneteller in Rumson, New Jersey, predicted my life, and so did a rabbi in New York City Rabbi Leibowitz in 2000 to a similar prediction that I was going to do something for God in the future… a lot more of course, won’t get into it now. But seven years ago I was baptized by a rabbi, and the name of Jesus Christ and I studied scripture with a tenacity. I have never read anything in my life and I’ve been an avid reader, since I was a little kid. I already knew from reading one line in John, that Jesus Christ was God. When I went back to Genesis, and started reading the two books as one, I was not trying to learn anything that I didn’t know already in my heart about the reality of God and Jesus, I was reading the books to find out everything I could that was in there, so I could tell people about exactly the truth of life. This life does not matter one bit…. The only thing that matters is that we get in line with Jesus Christ so that tube opens up that tornado must open up when we die and pop out of our body, and we can go back to where we came from. The human body is just carbon and nitrogen. It turns to carbon and hydrogen back into the oil it came from…. Thing inside of us was created by God it is put into the woman’s womb when the baby is developing I don’t know when…. But it has nothing to do with the human body, except there is something with the human. Sin what we think what we say, that either separates us or connects us to God. We need to have a serious fear of not being in line and having those things wrap around us and take us down because the thing inside of us lives forever it will never die. If God does not take that back when it pops out., it is like a horrific eternity we are facing. If anyone has any doubt that this is not true that is one dangerous gamble. Anyone who understands this is true, though sickness, disease, and other horrors, that plague our life on earth, these things must be looked at as amusements… literally not a big deal, no matter how bad even the most horrific death, it’s eventually over and very little time, and what happens when that thing pops out of the body… that’s actually went real life begins. A person when they die on earth will realize seconds later that their life was not anything that they thought. That thing that pops out is not human it is a perpetual life force with your voice the way you move your arms your mannerisms that pops out… you will not have any control over where it goes. It just floats around and either gets taken back to God or it gets trapped down below. That’s it. That’s the real truth of life. And that’s why the Bible warns about hell., that’s why Paul says his life was worthless… I pray that everybody understands that this is truth I’ve seen it firsthand. I’m probably the only living person on the planet that has a first hand testament to Jesus Christ and his father sitting together… it should make even the worst illness, laughable, and enjoyable, knowing that if death comes, it’s actual birth… it’s the first day of real life beginning… I have no more fear of any illness or death, just a fear of being separated, and being stuck in that horrific place down below, when my body dies. God bless you and I hope this message as well received.!
Hi Meredith I will be sending positive thoughts and prayers your way. Not long ago they found a spot on my brain.
I have been going through this same process of praying and endless wonder of my situation. So I know exactly what you are saying All we can do is lay it at His feet