What Will Wake You Up?
Saturday, April 23, 2011 at 10:25PM As many people have heard through the grapevine of my current medical problems, I felt that it was appropriate to address the topic at this point in time. First, allow me to bring everyone up to speed. Two weeks ago, April 8, I went in for surgery to remove a 6cm tumor from my right testicle. At the time it was unknown as to whether or not it was benign or malignant. The resulting pathology report confirmed that the tumor was a Seminoma type cancer. This past week I had an abdominal CT done to see if the cancer had spread anywhere else throughout my body. The CT images showed that a few of the lymph nodes in my abdomen were enlarged which classified my cancer as stage 2. My next step is to meet with an Urologist at Johns Hopkins who will be referring me to one of the leading Oncologists at Johns Hopkins to discuss my course of treatment.
From the very beginning, our family and our friends have been at our side supporting my family and myself. Words could never suffice the deep love and gratitude we feel for all of you. From the many phone calls and emails pledging prayer and words of encouragement, to the offers of help watching our children, to the help we received getting appointments with doctors at Johns Hopkins, all have provided a huge lift to our spirits. I know I can honestly say that I feel Jesus’ arms around my family and around me because of the outpouring of love from our friends and family during this time. All of you hold a very special place in our hearts and always will.
This experience has been an eye opening one to say the least. I have never really been sick before in my life. Other than an occasional cold, I have been blessed with a relatively healthy body. It is akin to being blindsided by the likes of an NFL linebacker. Here I am living my life, married to my best friend and a wonderful wife with 4 terrific children. Seemingly on top of the world with no serious worries to fret about and out of nowhere comes cancer to shock me back into reality. I had become complacent; lulled into a sense of ignorant comfort. I had become the proverbial frog in the pot of slowly warming water. Too comfortable to notice what was going on around me. I imagine you are asking, “What had you ignored?” I had become so comfortable with my “perfect” life, that I had allowed my spiritual life to stagnate.
Sure, I prayed every day and read my morning devotional. I was in church every Sunday and believed that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who sacrificed himself for me, but I had become a ritualized Christian. I could perform all the rituals and could talk the talk, but I had stopped walking the walk. The news that I have cancer caused me to stop and take notice of what I had become. I realized that I was not leaving a worthy legacy for my children to follow. I was not leading my family spiritually in the manner that which God has called each and every husband and father. I had allowed the minutiae of everyday life crowd out the single most important duty I have as a husband to Janie and a father to our children.
I am thankful that I serve the God of “second chances”! My cancer diagnosis has given me the opportunity to recommit my life to Jesus Christ. I find it fitting that this is Easter weekend and I am renewed in faith. 2000 years ago, Jesus allowed Himself to be falsely accused, arrested, stand for a sham trial, beaten and broken, humiliated, crucified, and murdered all for you and for me. He didn’t deserve anything that was done to Him. He willingly took our punishment, our death sentence, just so that we would not have to bear what we rightfully deserve. He did this knowing full well that many would deny that He was truly the Son of God. He knew that many would try to rewrite history and claim that he was just a “nice prophet”. He endured unimaginable torture with the knowledge that I would relegate my spiritual life to nothing more than a hobby! I don’t deserve a second chance, never mind the salvation of Jesus Christ, but God loves me, and each and every human being that has ever lived, so much that He sent His only Son to die in my place. His grace and mercy is immeasurable. I know that God has already healed me of my cancer, but that is not the issue any longer. My wife and I are, and will be closer because of this, but most importantly I am becoming the man that God intended me to be. I am now awake! If you are not living the life God intended for you, what will it take to wake you up?
God, Jesus, Troy Stouffer, cancer, easter, healing, johns hopkins, salvation, seminoma, testicular cancer
Reader Comments (10)
"if he led me to it, he'd see me through it". Its been 9 years since my cancer and 6 years since by divvorce, in the past year i've been able to say I'd do it all again.
Your life will be richer for it and will Janie's and your childrens. The physical and mental and emotional pain was at times more than I thought i could bare. Gods knows different, he's an amazing friend, comforter, healer and God. I promise you there will be times when you will be so down that you will wonder how anything good could come through this, but it will.... Remember that over 2000 years ago Jesus hung on that cross, his body beat and battered and he said "it is finished", and it is. You are healed in Jesus name and covered in his love....
My heart is sad to hear the news of your cancer but rejoices with you on the outlook that you have taken. Your faith is strong and is being tested and tried during this difficult time but Jesus says "I will never leave thee or forsake thee" Hang onto that promise Troy. You are such a blessing to so many people and your story will touch the lives of many. When we are struggling in our lives it is then that we grow closer to the Lord and to our spouse.
We will be lifting you up in prayer daily and thinking of you too. Prayer is a POWERFUL thing and offers healing, peace, comfort and strength. Praying that you and Janie feel the loving arms of Jesus wrapped around you holding you tight and that you feel the power of prayer.
Fervently Praying,
Jackie
Mike
I cam across your blog from a post on Twitter. My prayers are with you during your ordeal. You don't know me but I am a testicular cancer survivor and I founded the Testicular Cancer Society as my kind of obligation of the cured.
If there is anything I can do to help you along or even just an ear to talk to then please let me know.
Proverbs 24:11 NIV
Rescue those being led away to death;
hold back those staggering toward slaughter.
Your words were truly another way God has used to "wake me up"and call me to action. You will be in mine and Seth's prayers! Stay strong!