Home / News & Publications / Michigan Catholic News / 2009 / Breast cancer drew me into a new relationship with God
Breast cancer drew me into a new relationship with God
by LISA SCHWARTZ Special to The Michigan Catholic
Published December 11, 2009
In 2003, at the age of 37, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. My diagnosis came six months after my husband finished his own successful year-long battle with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. We had two young children, ages 5 and 8, when this whole journey began. I remember thinking, "How can this be?" Life was just returning to normal and now things were going to be turned upside down all over again. I felt especially sad for my husband and our children. It was an intense three years for our family and proved to be a real maturing time for my faith.
Born and raised Catholic, I attended 12 years of Catholic school. Our family attended weekly Mass and our children were enrolled in catechism classes. We were doing all of the things "good" Catholics were supposed to do. Looking back I see that my faith life was more focused on following the rules than on being in a relationship with God and I wasn't taking advantage of the spiritual resources God provides to us all.
Over the next 12 months I spent a lot of time talking with God and not just at God. My prayer life had consisted of thanksgiving for all of the wonderful blessings He had given us — family, friends, jobs and all of that material stuff. This was usually followed by a list of all the things I thought He should do. I was doing more talking than listening and I certainly wasn't thanking Him for the trials and sufferings in my life. I think this is a fairly typical way of praying when things are going smoothly. Now I pray for the courage to follow wherever God will lead me and trust that He has a plan for my life – which will include suffering.
During my treatment I also attended daily Mass, returned to the sacrament of reconciliation and received the sacrament of the anointing of the sick. The graces I received from each of these brought me great comfort. I never really appreciated the physical, spiritual and emotional healing that comes from receiving Jesus in holy Communion. Mass is no longer an obligation but a privilege. I treasure the time I spend with God and friends on Sunday.
The Bible was a crucial part of my recovery. I always wanted to join the neighborhood Bible study but couldn't because I was working full-time. I was blessed to have disability coverage during my year-long treatment so I joined the group – not exactly how I envisioned getting there. Prior to this, I had not read the Bible on a regular basis. Growing up in the 1970s, we Catholics were not encouraged to read the Bible, which was very unfortunate. The insights I gained into Scripture during my Bible study sessions were profound and life changing. I learned how much God really loved me and that I must share this love with everyone. Through the stories, I saw that God is always with us even during the darkest moments when we don't feel His presence. The Holy Spirit also showed me that God can take any bad circumstance and use it for His glory if we are willing to humble ourselves and trust in Him.
Today, by the grace of God, my husband and I are still cancer-free and I have found a peace and joy in my life that wasn't there before. I can only attribute this to my new found relationship with God. I include Him in every aspect of my life — sharing all of the joys and the sorrows. His blessings continue to flow to our family and I have learned to be thankful for the trials too. I don't know what tomorrow will bring but I do know that I won't go through it alone. Jesus, I trust in you!
Lisa Schwartz and her family are members of St. Edith Parish, Livonia.
Faith Matters
In 450-600 words tell us about one incident where faith changed you, where your faith was deepened or where you were drawn to faith. Send your story, along with your photo, and include your name, home parish, daytime phone number and a self-addressed envelope if you want your photo returned. Send to: Faith Matters, The Michigan Catholic, 305 Michigan Ave., Fourth Floor, Detroit, MI 48226 or by e-mail to MichiganCatholic@aod.org. We reserve the right to accept articles for publication and to edit them for length, grammar and clarity.
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