When Shuhua first discovered she had cancer, she was devastated.
She was just 31-years-old and pregnant with her second child. She and her husband had just moved to the United States, and their elder son was only three. Now, it seemed that the thyroid cancer was threatening to destroy all they had.
Though her husband tried his best to support and comfort her, Shuhua felt alone and terrified. Often, she would wake up in the middle of the night and weep silently in bed. She often asked: Why me?
Doctors prescribed treatment for the cancer, but it was painful and left Shuhua exhausted. Her husband had to juggle work and studies, so she still had to continue looking after the house and the family.
There were days when she felt overwhelmed by helplessness and hopelessness.
Shuhua, who had just become a believer in Jesus Christ, turned to God for help. She poured out her troubles to God in prayer and told him how she felt. Her bitterness and fear did not go away immediately. But as she did this, she began to feel an inner sense of peace and comfort replacing her fears and bitterness. She felt assured that God would help her and take care of her.
Friends from their local church stepped in to help, taking turns to look after her two young children so that she could rest. “I was so grateful for the help,” she says in recollection.
"And I felt deeply loved by God."
Eventually, when her husband returned to Singapore for work, Shuhua remained in the United States for radiation therapy.
She was advised to keep away from people so that the radioactive substances in her body would not harm others. But one friend from church chose to live with her to keep her company. This friend also read the Bible with her every day. Shuhua was deeply touched by her kindness.
Then, a friend who was a doctor told Shuhua that patients who received such treatment often developed other forms of cancer 10 years later.
Shuhua felt like she had just received a death sentence. The fear of death returned, and kept her anxious and awake at night.
“I was deeply discouraged,” she recalls. “I kept thinking: What would happen to my children and husband if I died in 10 years? It’s too early for me to die.”
Thankfully, the worst did not come true. Shuhua bore a third child, and watched all three children grow up. Her eldest child got married, and she even became a grandmother.
Gradually, however, she realised that there was no use fretting over the future. Whenever she felt overwhelmed with worry, she would tell God about her anxieties and cares. As she read the Bible and prayed, she felt assured that God would take care of her loved ones.
In 2017, Shuhua was again diagnosed with cancer. By then, she was 62 years old. Fortunately, the endometrial cancer was detected early. She underwent an operation, and life returned to normal.
The following year, however, her feet suddenly became so swollen that she could not walk. The cancer had not only recurred, but had also spread to other parts of her body.
This time, it was stage 4 cancer—and it was growing rapidly.
Shuhua was told that she had only 6 months to live. Even chemotherapy could extend her life only by 2 years.
This was devastating news. Shuhua had heard about the horrors of chemotherapy and its side effects. It was why many terminal cancer patients opted for palliative care instead.
She, too, wanted to forgo treatment. “After all,” she reasoned, “everyone dies.”
But this time, Shuhua was no longer afraid of death. She was confident that after she died, she would be in her heavenly home with Jesus.
Eventually, Shuhua was persuaded by her family to receive chemotherapy.
But she had many doubts about her decision. Would the treatment be effective? Would she be able to endure the side effects?
As she pondered over how helpless and fragile she felt, Shuhua again found courage and strength in God.
“I asked God to have mercy on me and to minimise the side effects of the treatment so that I would suffer less,” she says. “I also asked God for strength to share his comforting words with others, and pray with those in need.”
Eventually, Shuhua was persuaded by her family to receive chemotherapy.
But she had many doubts about her decision. Would the treatment be effective? Would she be able to endure the side effects?
As she pondered over how helpless and fragile she felt, Shuhua again found courage and strength in God.
“I asked God to have mercy on me and to minimise the side effects of the treatment so that I would suffer less,” she says. “I also asked God for strength to share his comforting words with others, and pray with those in need.”
Family and friends from church also prayed for Shuhua. Amazingly, she experienced minimal side effects from the chemotherapy—she retained her sense of taste or smell, and did not suffer mouth ulcers or nausea. She also slept well.
Some friends made her tonic soup every week. Whenever she had a craving for a particular fruit, someone would get it for her. And when her gums hurt due to the treatment, someone bought her a special toothpaste.
“It showed me that the God I believe in is real and living,” she says. “He loves me very much and will supply my every need.”
There are days when Shuhua thinks about her terminal disease and the painful treatment, and feels like grumbling. But she does not allow herself to go down the slippery slope of despondency.
When she feels down, she reads the Bible and confides in God. She pours out her worries and fears to him. And she remembers the many times that God has helped her, comforted her, and given her peace.
One verse from the Bible gives her great comfort and assures her that God is always with her:
“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.”
—Isaiah 43:2
“…but God is with me”
Says Shuhua: “If I had not known God, I would have given in to despair. I would have lost all hope in life. I’m walking in the shadow of death all the time. I don’t know how long I have to live. I’m constantly aware that death may separate me from my family any time.”
But, she adds, she finds hope and strength to live on because of her faith in Jesus Christ.
She says, “Whether we are receiving painful treatment, on the operating table, or facing death, only one person can accompany us and be with us though it all—God. His presence gives us real peace.”
The Source of Shuhua’s Strength
It is very difficult to face terminal illness with peace. So what is the source of Shuhua’s strength and courage? What makes her unafraid of death?
If you ask Shuhua these questions, she’ll answer readily: my faith in Jesus Christ.
She believes what the Bible says about Jesus: he is God who became man to show all of us how we can go to heaven.
Jesus says: “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying” (John 11:25–26).
What gives Shuhua strength? It is the promise that Jesus gives: that he will bring us to heaven to live with him forever.
No one can escape death, so Jesus came to earth to provide us with a way out. He died for our sins on the cross and rose from the dead on the third day. If we acknowledge our sins and believe in him, Jesus will fulfil his promise to give us life with him in heaven, even after we die.
If you are a believer of Jesus Christ, you will also no longer need to face death alone. Having faced and defeated death, Jesus is able to walk with you throughout your life, even the very end. He will hold your hands tightly as you make the journey from life to death and into eternal life.
Would you like to know this God who has given much hope and comfort to Shuhua?
Jesus invites you to do so with these words:
