“What a God we have!!  And how fortunate we are to have him. This Father of our Master Jesus Christ!  Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we have been given a brand new life and have everything to live for including a future in heaven – the future starts now!! God is keeping watch over us.”  I Peter 1:3  (The Message) 

August 21^st, my friend of sixty-six years, died.  The next day, I felt like writing him a letter. I am quoting the end of the letter: “ Well, Dick, the final battle with death is over for you. The weapons Christ gave us were effective. Let’s sing:  The strife is o’er, the battle is done; Now is the victor’s triumph won!  Now be the song of praise begun. Allelliua! (Hymn #366 in the red book.) Friend, throw me a life-line. Pull me along. Then I can take your hand again. Christ is Risen!!!

The next day, Ann and I were sitting is a sports doctor’s office. I had been having leg pain only when I sat.  He said, “Paul, we found something we weren’t looking for. Your body is full of cancer!!!) Shock! Disbelief! But there it was – in my shoulders, hips, neck, rib cage, back bone, groin. My world had suddenly changed!!!!! However, God was soon talking to me.

The next day, we read from the devotional: ’Christ in Our Home’.  Eph. 6:13. “Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all of the help you can get, every weapon God has issued.” God was speaking very clearly to me.  Quickly the drug Lupron was injected in me. I had five radiation treatments. Another new drug was ordered. My PSA was 45.2  (normal is 0 – 4) prayers were offered, beautiful cards and messages were sent.

I felt strong spiritually. Did I want to die?  Well, no, however, I’m ready. Then I thought of Jesus, His ‘walking the  walk, and talking the talk’ . He didn’t want to die; in fact, he asked His Father to take this cup from him. However, he died. He struggled like I struggle. He didn’t have the chemo drugs like I had. He prayed that the Father would “take his cup from me.”  I am still alive. He died. And for what reason – that you and I have eternal life; a life with no pain, no sorrow, with complete joy. That is His great gift to us. In death was resurrection, wholeness, life in its fullness. I am His. I’m in remission. So far, death has not had its say. For Jesus, His pain, the infection of sin wasn’t in remission. That’s OK for He had overcome the pain and sorrow and death. Halleluia!!!

Prayer: Dear Lord, you kept the cross before you as you entered into death; help us to stay the course and claim the victory of resurrection. Amen.

Paul K. Martinson