Working in an Oncology office, I see people every single day who are facing a very unexpected crisis in their lives. Regardless of age, gender, race, or educational background, they are all fighting the same terrifying battle. I watch them enter a world where everything is unfamiliar, making them timid, scared, and moving through the initial stages with a “deer in headlights” expression and demeanor. I see women in their eighties diagnosed with breast cancer, men of all ages diagnosed with prostate cancer. Some are otherwise extraordinarily healthy and fit, while others have a rather complicated medical history aside from their new cancer diagnosis.

In my position, I am the one who walks them through the initial phase of their first appointment for the consultation. I always do my best to connect with them in a way that they find most comfortable, and during those first few minutes I try and take some of the mystery out of what lies ahead. My primary goal is to relax them enough before their consultation with the physician begins to allow them to hear and understand the information they are given. I want to alleviate some of the fear of the unknown so they can shake their minds free for a candid, open discussion about their options.

They still have a certain amount of fear when they finally come in for their very first treatment, and then I watch them come in day after day, walking the path before them to the best of their ability. I watch bonds form between patients as they spend time together in the waiting area every day. Many of our patients turn to God, and I watch their faith grow and strengthen in the face of tremendous adversity. I’ve watched a person who is a triathlete come in because they’d been having back pain that wouldn’t go away, and find out that they have bone lesions which are actually the spread of disease that began, unbeknownst to them, in their lungs. The impact on their lifestyle has been devastating for them, as they’ve reached a point where they aren’t able to tolerate a short walk, much less the level of activity that was routine just a couple of months ago.

In spite of the immense struggle they are facing, this person remains filled with extraordinary faith and courage. That doesn’t mean there aren’t tears and hard days. All it means is that there is knowledge that they’re not alone, and no matter what happens, they will be ok. As I watch this patient, along with countless others, endure all that comes at them each day, I am always deeply touched by their depth of faith. I’m also in awe of the trust God has in me to have placed me in a position of support to these amazing people.

I don’t know where my path is headed, and I’m doing my best to hold tight to the Lord and learn how to trust that He is always with me, directing my steps. Life is really a constant journey into the unknown. We all have days, no matter what we are facing, where we are the ones wearing the “deer in headlights” expression and demeanor. I’d venture a guess that we all have days where we feel like those headlights ran right over the top of us, leaving us rattled and trying to repair the tire tracks across our backsides. Even then, we can have a day where we are challenged in a different way, and instead of feeling like we’ve been run over, we feel more like we’ve spent hours in a washing machine stuck on the spin cycle.

No matter how we feel, we can be sure we’re not alone, and we’re not the first ones to ever feel that way. This is why it is so important that we find a way to be there for each other. When someone has the courage to reach out and tell us they are struggling, it is vital that we reach back and let them know they’ve been heard. It is why God has commanded us to love one another as ourselves. He uses us to help each other through the hardships of life on earth. I am incredibly blessed in the people God has placed in my life who love and support me during all the ups and downs I face. It is my prayer that I am able to do the same for those who need me.

As you go through your day today, pay attention to those around you. Ask God to nudge you towards those He needs you to love and encourage. Pray for the words and actions that will make the needed difference in their lives…and at the end of the day, look back and think of those people, thanking God for giving you the chance to serve them on His behalf, as that is the best gift of all.

“Let us seize and hold tightly the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is reliable and trustworthy and faithful [to His word]; and let us consider [thoughtfully] how we may encourage one another to love and to do good deeds, not forsaking our meeting together [as believers for worship and instruction], as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more [faithfully] as you see the day [of Christ’s return] approaching.” Hebrews 10:23-25 AMP