Hope Doesn’t Always Look Like a Cure

Hope doesn’t always look like a cure. Hope is believing God has something beautiful planned for the great sufferings of life.

Hope doesn’t always look like a cure: Suffering through the bad news.

When I found out my father had an aggressive form of cancer. I had little hope of his survival, I was given the option, hope and pray for a cure, or despair. I didn’t know how God could make such a terrible thing good. I didn’t know what He would do through my father’s anguish. When We first learned of his diagnosis, I felt alot of sadness and hopelessness.

Hope doesn’t Always look like a cure: Healed relationships

As the cancer progressed and he neared death on so many occasions, I began to see the miracles God was working. One of them being, his brother reconciled with my father after not getting along for several years. He came to visit the hospital and stayed in a hotel nearby for two weeks. The dedication and love I saw after having had so much bitterness between the two of them was more then moving, it was groundbreaking for me. I learned that love truly could overcome anything. This uncle also reunited with his estranged daughter outside my sick fathers’ room.

Hope doesn’t always look like a cure: Conversion

I had been praying my whole life for my father to turn to Jesus through the Catholic Faith. He had gone to mass off and on throughout his life, but struggled to take of commitment. One morning my mother called me up and asked if I could get ahold of a priest to have him give my father a blessing and anointing of the sick. I’m ashamed to say I almost put it off for a couple days, but I could feel the Holy Spirit’s urgency.

A priest came over and not only did he give him anointing of the sick, but he also asked my dad if he wanted to become Catholic and receive all the rights of the Sacraments. My dad said yes, and that day my father became a Catholic. Afterwards there was a glow and peace flowing from my dad.

Hope doesn’t always look like a cure: Witnessing the Power of Love.

My dad passed away just a few months after his diagnosis. It was fast and every day my family entered into the unknown. I didn’t know what moment would be his last but I whitnessed so much love. I saw his siblings give up weeks of their lives to spend time with Him. I heard beautiful stories of how he changed the lives of his students. Priest came over so many times to chat and give my father blessings, the love was nonstop. I got to see my mom use every ounce of energy to care for him; I didn’t know someone could be so loved. My dad had flaws and imperfections, yet God allowed mountains of love to flow through flawed imperfect people, so that my father could receive comfort and grace.

Hope doesn’t always look like a cure: What Hope is

I miss my dad every day. I yearn for the opportunity to stay up late watching classic movies and chatting with him over coffee. As much as I miss him and love my dad. I’m so eternally grateful that God moved in His life and in our lives through cancer. Hope doesn’t always look like a cure, but it always looks like God’s blessings. I’m grateful I got to witness his goodness during our time of trial.

Currently, we are facing the trial of infant loss. I’m so grateful to say that God’s visible goodness has carried us. We continue to hope and believe that God has caverns of beauty to be uncovered.