I would like to introduce Hope Rising, our new Grace In The Wilderness Facebook Support Group for Cancer Survivors and Their Caregivers. The group has been started to create a safe place for members to be encouraged and to encourage others. No matter where a woman might be in her cancer journey as a survivor or a caregiver, it is my hope that she will find a network of support in our group among friends–a comforting and friendly place to listen, and a place to be heard.

My cancer story.

I wanted to share a little bit about my own cancer experience, and why I am starting this group. I am a cancer survivor now free from breast cancer and melanoma for 9 years. Praise God!

I was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer in June of 2011. Because of breast cancer history on both sides of my family, and, based on the advice of my breast surgeon, I opted for bilateral radical mastectomies. I did not want to take the chance of fighting cancer for the rest of my life. My mother died in March of 2008 after she fought 3-year battles with colon and breast cancer.

I had my breasts removed in July of 2011. Then I had two other reconstructive surgeries. Surgeries were in August and another in November of the same year. God validate the decision for double mastectomies for me when the surgeon found precancerous cells in my other breast as well.

Before my surgery in November of 2011, my dermatologist told me I had stage 1 melanoma. I had surgery to remove the melanoma from my back just in time for it to heal two weeks before my third breast surgery. Since that day I have been cancer-free of melanoma. Again, Praise God!

After all my breast surgeries, I had severe pain. Each surgery was supposed to improve my pain, but it only got worse. After the last surgery, I received a Reflex Sympathetic Distrophy diagnosis. My surgeon told to never have surgery again except to save my life. I have not been able to have my final reconstruction surgery. Many times I still struggle with feeling less than because of my deformities.

Since 2011, I have lived with nerve pain every day–some days worse than others. Praise the Lord that I am able to get up, get out, and keep moving. This week I hiked in the mountains with my sons. What’s a little thorn, right?

I hate cancer! It took my mother from me. Cancer ravaged my body leaving me physically broken in many ways. It has attacked my mother in law as she had peritoneal cancer. She beat it 8 years ago after chemo and surgery. My father-in-law had his third bladder cancer surgery this morning to remove tumors that kept recurring.

The best way I know to fight cancer is to go to the Lord with it in prayer, and to support and encourage others in their battles. That is what our support group is all about–prayer, love, and encouragement.

God answers prayer.

Despite the hardships, I am so very thankful that God healed me completely of cancer. He gets me through one day at a time living with nerve pain. I am thankful that He carried my mother safely through her cancer journey, and that He healed her in Heaven. I praise God that He has been with my in-laws every step in their battles too. My father-in-law did well with his surgery today. He is already back home sitting on his porch and talking about where they are going for supper. Praise God! Praise God!

The Lord has been so good to me not only in my health but in every area of my life. How can I not want to do all I can to serve Him? He comforted me, and it is my passion to comfort others through Him. God never wastes anything that we go through, and He has blessed me to use my experience many times in these last 9 years to try to encourage someone else.

I am sure many of you have been through hard things that God can use, and He is giving you opportunities now to pour into someone else. Please take advantage of every divine appointment that God makes for you to help someone else. I promise you it will bless your socks off!

He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 2 Corinthians 1:4

Grace In The Wilderness Ministries, www.wildernessgrace.org. 

I began GITW in 2008 after Mom died. Soon after my friend, Marie Pritchett, joined me in the ministry. It is a Christian women’s ministry to encourage women of all ages in areas of wilderness situations in their lives. We have support groups for moms who have lost children, for special needs moms, and for caregivers. There is a ministry for teen girls called Empowered Jesus Girl. We sponsor women blogs (www.sharonhawkins.net) and teen blogs (www.glitterandgraceteens.com) and women and teen girl conferences. Please check out our websites. And, if you have any interest in any of our support groups or would like more information about our ministries, please respond in comments to let me know, and I will reach out to you.

We are very excited to add Hope Rising to our Grace In The Wilderness ministries! We pray that you will be blessed and bless others by being a member of our new group if you are a cancer survivor or caregiver.

Unfortunately, it is a group that no one wants to be in. Nonetheless, here we are! We are stronger together. We are still surviving and giving care to those we love who are fighting.

Together with God, we can fight cancer because cancer starts with a little c, and Christ starts with a BIG C. To Christ goes all the glory!!

Sometimes all it takes is a little bit of hope to keep fighting for another day. One day at a time. For those cancer survivors and their caregivers, it is my prayer that your hope will rise and you will be uplifted by the encouragement you find in our group. This is because it points to the only hope we really have in this life, Jesus Christ.

If you are a cancer survivor or caregiver of someone with cancer, we invite you to join our group. Visit Facebook and apply to join the group by searching for Hope Rising: A GITW Women Support Group For Cancer Survivors and Caregivers, or click this link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1660556400774575/ 

Also, would you please help us by 1) praying for our group; and 2) getting the word out about our new ministry by sharing this information with those who might benefit from it.

Thank you so much! May God bless you always!