Living with Cancer and Walking with God

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As a believer in Jesus Christ, how do you deal with a cancer diagnosis? Isabel Vellacott was diagnosed with cancer just four months into her marriage to Oliver. They walked the rigours of cancer together. But they weren’t in it alone. Through it all, they knew the heart of the Father and kept their eyes fixed on Jesus. Before she died, Isabel penned her journey through shock, anger, guilt, pain and the ways in which she and Oliver processed her diagnosis. From their experiences, you’ll find lessons for the journey drawn from accounts of the coming of Jesus Christ into this world.  The great model for earthly life is Jesus Christ. Not all His days were bright and rosy. So, to know true hope in the midst of grief and pain, start at the cross. Hide your life in Christ and His love, then let your journey, whatever that may entail of joy or sadness, culminate in Resurrection at the last day.  Living with cancer isn’t easy. But walking with God can frame your story.

‘In this heart-warming short book Isabel and Oliver have shared their story openly and honestly. Their conviction is that the best way to approach life’s ups and downs is in a relationship with Jesus Christ. They show how their story makes most sense when seen as part of a bigger, better story – God’s story. Aspects of the Bible narrative we know quite well about the birth of Jesus are weaved into the nitty gritty of Isabel’s cancer diagnosis and their reactions that follow. This book will be helpful to many because it deals with life’s challenges while maintaining a joyful perspective. The courage they have displayed in writing of their experience is inspiring.’ ~ Elaine Duncan, Chief Executive, Scottish Bible Society

‘An indescribably poignant and raw illustration of the last days of a life lived to full in the shadow of death. Written by two newly-weds, whose time is cut short by cancer, this book could have been about fractured dreams but instead is a powerful testament to the beauty of faith in the midst of pain and grief, and a reminder of the preciousness of time spent with those we love – and of God’s unending love. A great gift to those left behind.’ ~ Kate Nicholas, author, broadcaster, blogger and preacher

‘This is a remarkable and deeply moving book which is a tribute to a profound human love, but far more than that: it is a spiritual adventure story. Anyone who reads this with an open heart will be touched and inspired because this is about living well and dying well, it is about comfort and hope amid the overwhelming challenges of cancer and COVID-19. It is about divine transformation. Oliver and Isabel depict a world where a parking place in a hospital car park can become ‘holy ground’, a sacred space of heartfelt prayer, where three brief years of a marriage afflicted by a deadly disease can become a threshold to eternity. Woven through this account of human tears and tragedy and hope, told with such honesty and humility, there is the timeless beauty of the Christmas story. It is an original and surprising approach to the ancient theme of suffering, enriched by poems, hymns and songs – and above all by the shining witness of two people on the ultimate journey of faith.’ ~ Murray Watts, Playwright, author and director of The Wayfarer Trust

‘Cancer and Christmas are not two words that sit easily together, yet in this booklet Oliver and Isabel Vellacott help us see how the love that came down at Christmas is the love that can carry us through the most challenging of circumstances. Isabel shares how she was given a Stage 4 diagnosis of cancer just days before her retirement, and only months after being married to Oliver, yet found the grace to bear her suffering without bitterness or self-pity. Oliver helps us understand from Scripture how we too may find strength to cope with disappointment and heartbreak by trusting in the wisdom and love of God. This is a powerful, moving testimony to the power of faith in the midst of the deepest trials.’ ~ Tony Horsfall, retreat leader, author and church leader

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