A year ago my sister was fighting for her life, and she was handed one of the most beautiful opportunities for healing! Let me tell you the back story quickly for those who do not know it, she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cervical cancer in August 2016. I refuse to write about the horror of cancer the way the world would have it. Why? It’s simple, you probably know already just how horrible disease is and one broken night on my bedroom floor the Lord reminded me I had been here before a couple years ago when we lost one of our twin 6 year old granddaughters in a tragic accident. I had already learned not to celebrate what the enemy celebrates. On my bedroom floor that night crying out for peace, I was reminded of a scripture: Matt 10:28(and it became my life verse for awhile) “I do not fear the one who can harm the body but can not touch the soul, but the ONLY ONE who can harm the body and the soul.” I realized right then and there, again, that the devil will not get one ounce of my attention, I won’t join a group, I won’t wear a ribbon and I will not share the “horrible” cancer moments. It was unworthy of sister, and it was NOT part of her identity. Her soul was safe, because she knew her savior. She passed away peacefully at the age of 33 on August 17, 2017 almost a year to the date of diagnosis.
SO let’s get back to the beauty in the midst of the ashes. I was with her when the doctors told us it went from bad to worse. I cried. She held it together and told everyone she met she would live and not die and Jesus is the only way to eternal life. I remember her calling me one day, she was crying and laughing and said “I could not breath all day without sharp pains, I was sitting on the edge of the bed and I asked God to take it! Shannon, I felt the warmest feeling come over my body like hot fudge and I heard clearly a voice say “take a breath” so I did and all my pain was gone!” we laughed and cried and rejoiced together on the phone! I will never forget it. Soon after that she was offered an amazing chance to go to Mexico to a beautiful clinic there called HOPE 4 CANCER. That is what it is too. Hope, hope to a lost and dying world! Hope for truth. Hope for purpose. She was so full of hope, and so was I. I was going to get to make the end of half of the 3 week journey with her, our mother did the beginning. I had never traveled anywhere alone, let alone Mexico. But the Lord stretched me beyond me, and I am so thankful now. My sister’s healing looked different than I imagined or wanted it to. She forgave, she said sorry, so much beautiful restoration life came out of something meant to destroy. I watched her through her own pain, and fear and still love everyone she met. I watched her help lead a girl to the Lord, I watched her use all her physical strength to get up and move over to wrap her arms around someone and hug them while they wept. I watched her pray with her children at night before bed. I watched her live. Not the way the world would describe living, but the way we are meant too. God is not the author of disease and this battle is His and He already won for us. We are called to believe and love and go where He sends us. Sometimes I wish I could touch people and every truth I have learned about life and death would be transferred into their mind and heart, that would be so nice.
Hope is alive my friends. Do not believe otherwise.
Mexico taught me a lot. A lot about my own heart, and fears, and people. It taught me if you stay in the safety of the boat you will rarely see the glory and miracles God creates ALL the time. It taught me that people are people everywhere and no walls can change that. This life really is a vapor gone before we know it, and we don’t have the time to mess around with our feelings. Listen up, your feelings will lie. They convince you its about you, and it usually isn’t, just to be brutally honest. My sister knew that. It taught me faith does move mountains, and God is always there working and pulling out the beauty in our mess. He is faithful. Do not be afraid of what appears broken, He makes all things new.
Shannon R. Hess 
One response to “Hope is alive.”
I can’t begin to tell you how much I love this!!!! I love you too. We probably wouldn’t have met had our paths not crossed through this path that the enemy designed to destroy. I’m so very thankful we know how to trade or sorrows for the joy of the Lord and use these situations to lead others to Him!!! Love you, Shannon!!!
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