A New Assignment

The waiting room is crowded.  It is one of thousands in the complex and 30 or so people are sitting in this one waiting.  One lady’s cap says “No Hair Day” and a bald man says, “I like that!” A lady across from him says, “This is my first naked hair day but its so cold I might put my hood back on.”  Another… “I had bad hair days before my breast cancer but not now.” Another… “Because of the steroids my hair is having a tough time growing back.”  On and on it goes.  Laughter. Joking. Personal information… too personal… is thrown around… all of us are in the same leaky boat.

Our relationship with the greatest cancer center in the world began in 1995.  I remember thinking that we were not in that bad of shape.  We were, by the way, and now 15 years later we are back for the long haul.  There is a casualness here about one of the most feared diseases in the world.  You ask a person’s disease before you know their name.  Like inmates in the county lock-up, everyone wants to know “what you’re in for” and there is no hesitation to ask.  It is honor among thieves, the curiosity justified and accepted.

And so it goes day by day.  There are those who know and those who will soon learn as the march of frail humanity surrounds you.  I am telling you the truth when I say that there is little sadness because, by default, everyone is now a fighter.  Little shame about the dreaded hospital gown.  No shame about no hair.  Acceptance is the rule in this City of Refuge.

And in two weeks, after massive doses of chemotherapy that will destroy all blood cells, Jan will be infused with her sister’s stem cells.  A remarkable process will begin that will hopefully result in the new blood replacing the old that was slowly killing her.  In a matter of months, Jan’s DNA will be the same as her sisters.  They will be twins born years apart.  Though they were close before, afterwards they can never deny one another because at the most base level, they will be the same.

And that is why Jesus came into the world.

He was wholly innocent and clean when the cancer of sin surrounded him in the manger.  Long before, mankind accepted as a way of life the terminal sin and disease they lived in.  Like many in the waiting room at MDA, there was little memory left of when life had been normal and whole.

The bible says that He offered His blood to buy back our sickened souls that were terminal and hopelessly diseased.  That exchange, for those who would receive it, would not restore but replace the DNA of original sin with the new DNA of the First Born Son of God.  “Behold, I am making all things new,” is not a nice poetic dream, it is reality.  He gave His blood to the last drop suffering death in order that I might become like Him.  His DNA is now mine and His very nature is offered to me through sanctification to replace every vestige of corrupt flesh.  And when the Father looks at me, He only sees Jesus… after all, we share the same DNA.

Many walking the halls of this sin cancered world hope to extend life through the good care we can provide to one another, but all to little avail.  What we need is a healing.  What we need is a new hope that eradicates sin and renews life in order that we can leave the kingdom of this world and walk free as citizens of the Kingdom of God.

For the following months, our whole world will revolve around the footprint of M.D. Anderson in Houston.  I don’t doubt that it will become restrictive but when those months are gone and Jan’s blood is cleansed and healthy we will be free again.  For those who know Jesus and have received from Him His righteousness, freedom takes on a whole new meaning.

A trusted friend while editing this article wrote back that it was “hard getting thru the first half… it feels (too) personal…  it is hard to read.”  In light of all that Jan will be going through, my friend is right.  There is no question that circumstances are upon us that demand sober attention.

But I read recently that the church today “spends more time praying to keep saints alive that keeping sinners our of hell.”  Each day you meet people who are dying eternally, living in the prison of their cancerous sin.  It is our great privilege and commission to share the message of healing and wholeness through the cleansing blood of Jesus… especially in a world like this.

Do that, won’t you?  Commit that this year will change the life of those who are dying of sin, those who are unaware of the cancerous flesh that cannot be healed except by through the good blood of Jesus Christ.

And pray for us, too, that the Lord will empower us to hold the blood bought banner of Jesus high in this new assignment.