How Cancer Cured Me — The Journey

How Cancer Cured Mark Heisey

By Mark Heisey with Ben Cox

God Will Do The Rest

“Your husband has Double-hit, non-Hodgkin’s Large Diffused B-cell, stage IV-B Lymphoma. This is a super-aggressive cancer and it shows up in about 70 percent of his bone marrow, and it doubles about every 24 hours.” Translated, “Your husband is a very sick man!” The prognosis was no better news than the diagnosis: “He may not live through the first chemotherapy treatment of five days.”

Have you ever wondered what you’d prefer—to die suddenly or have time to think about it?

My wife, Eulita, asked if there was anything the doctors could say that would give us hope. “We will do our best” was the answer she got.

Bravely, she voiced what became our theme: “Thank you. Do your best, and God will do the rest.

I cried. Normally I’m a person filled with enthusiasm, pedal-to-the-metal, AAA personality who loves life. I admire people who have the patience to enjoy a game of golf or who can slow down enough to anticipate a day of fishing—two things I’ve never been inclined to do. But apart from overwork and too many projects, I was living a cancer-preventing lifestyle.

I was an organic gardener and teacher, exercising daily outdoors, happily married and socially connected with many friends. I was also a lean vegetarian (mostly) for fifty years who hardly ever ate food with white flour or refined sugar, never used tobacco or alcohol, never even tasted coffee, etc. It was incongruent. Cancer? Dying? I was like a fast-sinking ship with nothing to throw overboard.

Everyone who knew me was bewildered. “Of all people, how did Mark get cancer?” It was probably environmentally caused. But from what? Did it matter? Wasn’t there anything on which we could direct our anger? Whatever the cause, it was still natural to ask, “Why me?” After that initial cry, once composed enough to speak, I said to Eulita, “We will never ask, ‘Why?’ We will only give thanks.” I said this, not because I was so strong in faith, but because I was afraid. I was afraid we’d get stuck on “Why?” and we had enough trouble already. Besides, how could we determine if the answer was correct? And there’s hardly any answer that would be adequate. I said it because obviously there was nothing else that provided any hope—not science, not medicine, not unbelief. So we held “unswervingly to the hope we profess[ed],” trying to believe that “He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23).

In sickness and in health: Mark Heisey and wife Eulita Heisey share his hospital bed. Mark was unexpectedly diagnosed with an incredibly aggressive cancer in 2019.

Lessons Learned From Suffering

The words you just read come from the book the Lord led me to write called How Cancer Cured Me. The major objective I had in writing this book about how God has granted me a miracle in my personal battle against cancer is to help people see that there can be a benefit to suffering. I believe that God’s word gives us clear instruction about how our faith in Him and our relationship with Him can enable us to face any adversity or trauma that may come our way. God’s grace is sufficient. It’s my prayer that my testimony here in The Journey and in my book will help folks develop a theology for suffering.

Suffering interrupts the daily flow and makes more distinct the voice of God. It can help a person to live out their faith so they don’t outlive their faith—to renew a determination to live a life more concerned about one’s outcome than one’s income. That’s one thing I tuned into because of what I suffered, but here’s four more.

First, God used my suffering to deliver me from making a quick judgment about people by their body shape, skin color, age, appearance, profession, accent, clothing, adornment… whatever. One of the “lowly” techs who bathed me was a single mother working on her third master’s degree! When I learned this I was embarrassed—not regarding modesty but of my skimpy thoughts. Now I attempt more than ever to view people as special for what and who they are. Instead of trying to see through people, to see people through—to treasure, rather than measure them.

Second, you know how one’s reach exceeds one’s grasp? Regardless of accomplishments, on a daily basis I was living with discontent, trying to extend my reach—stretching: “If I only had a little more time, talent, energy, or money.” Now I’m happy for what I can grasp. “Godliness, with contentment, is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6).

Third, I’m recovering from shallow living. It’s better to put a $5 tree in a $20 hole than a $20 tree in a $5 hole. Fruitfulness depends on root-full-ness. We need to be connected to and invested in people and community to survive well the stresses and storms of life.

And last, I stopped wanting a relationship with God on my terms, my criteria, and my expectations. “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out” (Romans 11:33)!

“Suffering interrupts the daily flow and makes more distinct the voice of God. It can help a person to live out their faith so they don’t outlive their faith.”

Religion Vs. Relationship

We are all products of nature and nurture, aren’t we—of genetics and culture and life experience? And we are all religious, whether we admit it or not. I was born in Hershey, PA, with considerable influence from the Plain People culture. My grandparents came to an understanding of the beauty of the Gospel, and the blessings of healthy living practices and Sabbath rest, and eventually changed from the Mennonite tradition to become Seventh-day Adventists, which is also quite conservative in lifestyle. I eventually made the same choice.

Even though my folks provided a nurturing environment, and I wanted to be a “good person,” I also thought God partially accepted me based on behavior. And I accepted Him somewhat on the same basis: if He answered prayers according to my desire, I thought more of Him, and adversely, less of Him. It was more like a business arrangement.

Most religions—and most religious people—seem to work from a variation of the premise, “What must I do to convince God to value me enough—to like me enough—to let me into Heaven/afterlife?” Having grown up in a religious culture that took pride in our adherence to a Saturday Sabbath instead of the Sunday traditions that many other Christian denominations embrace, my sense of security for salvation also depended on obedience and behavior rather than a relationship with Christ.

This is the truth I encountered during my freshman year in college. One night, with the dorm room door open, from across the hallway I heard a fellow student explain the Gospel to another student. The wonderfully good news is that “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself!” The law condemns sinners—Jesus Christ only condemns sin. It takes a while for this concept to modify one’s worldview, and religious practice. I decided to actually believe God, and not just believe in God.

Taking it one step at a time: Mark, joined by Eulita, gets some exercise during his hospital stay by walking the halls during his treatment. Healthy living has always been important to the two of them, now more than ever.

God’s Calling

After that came a few youthful struggles and terrible disappointments in God—prayers about important things that didn’t seem to be effective—I became angry with God and decided to go to school abroad, to be away from all who knew me and “re-invent” who I was. But there I met this beautiful Christian girl my age.

Thus came another struggle. How could I justify dating someone when I was working my way through college and planning on being a physician? How could I risk not dating such a marvelous young lady and losing so much? How could I chance giving up my faith when it was her faith that also attracted me?

As my faith matured, I came to understand God’s calling of me to pastoral ministry, and it was confirmed when I asked after a few years dating that same young lady, Eulita, if she would be willing to marry a minister instead of a physician. She answered, “If you are the minister.” We’ve celebrated 44 years together. The Lord used her to save my youthful life, and once again in this health crisis.

Foundation For Adversity

Of course, we all have some challenges. Today our cheeks may be dry but tomorrow they can be wet with tears. As a pastor, I vicariously experienced a lot of grief—and said a lot of encouraging words—but it is different when it is you that is suffering.

Personal experience improves the integrity of our words, doesn’t it? Do we really understand? Do we really know what we’re talking about? Does our biography match our theology? Can we practice what we preach and preach anything we practice? Is it true?

Someone recently asked me, “How long did it take you to prepare that sermon?” I responded, “About 60 years.” We are a composite, aren’t we? But looking back, there were some significant factors that made a world of difference.

First is friends and family support. Here is a return of one’s investment. It’s easy to have faith when it’s easy to have faith… when you don’t seem to need much of it. Having praying friends who can speak words of hope and assist with deeds of kindness sure means a lot.

Secondly, a good theology provides an explanation to make sense of a crisis. This is a time to nestle—not wrestle—with God. What we think about God determines what we think of God, which determines what we do with God.

In regards to my calling to be a pastor in the body of Christ, let me hasten to say it is not based on natural talent. God gives spiritual gifts, but usually to meet a task. Folks would not have picked me out of a line-up for “most likely to succeed” as a pastor. But I read that, “God’s strength is made perfect in weakness,” so I figured, “What a wonderful opportunity for God to work and reveal His glory.”

“It’s easy to have faith when it’s easy to have faith... when you don’t seem to need much of it. ”

Secondly, there is a compelling sense to share such news with a world in need. “If God be for us, who can be against us?” No prosecuting attorney from hell will have a case against you in the Judgment. Why? Because Jesus took all our sin so God can relate to us as if we had never sinned! Our debt is greater than the national debt, but it has been paid!

And this God promises to take care of His children as a loving Father. For those who are broke, broken, or broken-hearted, here is good news! We are neither accidental nor incidental. He wants you to be able to sing like the birds even if you don’t know where your next meal is coming from.

“Calling” seems to be a compelling sense to share such Good News… to inform people that the Lord is just as concerned about the state of the living as He is about the state of the dead… to be confident that when we are in His will we are in His care! That’s the kind of solid Biblical truth that can provide a foundation for us when the winds and rains of adversity come.

God’s grace: Mark and his niece pose with a gift she gave him, a decorative sign bearing scripture from 2 Corinthians 12:9, a verse that encouraged Mark to become a pastor.

Nothing Without Love

As I already said, sometimes personal experience improves the integrity of our words. And it was another personal experience I had while pastoring a church in Tryon, NC where suffering changed the trajectory of my life in ways that the Lord has used for my good and His glory. I was diagnosed with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and had to take a leave of absence from pastoring to regain my health.

When I felt strong enough to resume pastoral ministry, we received an invitation to pastor two small churches in Banner Elk and Valle Crucis. This enabled us to move to the High Country and experience the great joy and exhilaration of planting a new church in Boone in the late 1990s. We’re incredibly grateful to have been used of the Lord to bring people to saving faith in Jesus Christ and then watch as the Holy Spirit and the impartation of Biblical truth transform their lives.

I no longer pastor the church in Boone, but I attend there where I experienced the support I needed when cancer almost killed me. Their prayers and support in our time of suffering was one of the key ingredients in helping us through.

Pastoring used to be seen as swimming in a fishbowl, but now—to serve well—it’s like being in a blender with the switch on high. And pastors are a unique bunch, and unique in handling crises. After all, they have this pressure of needing to know the answers, be strong, have faith… sorta more than human. And their personal issues are closely tied to their employment, so revealing a need and getting help is complicated. From personal struggles and to help others, while pastoring the three churches, my wife and I started the Barnabas Center Ministry, designed to understand and support pastors and other “compassion fatigued” caregivers through difficult times.

And though in our faith community a pastor’s salary is somewhat low, with good management—and especially if the spouse also has income—they can live comfortably. But I found myself talking about faith and wondering if we actually lived by faith. So I left pastoral employment and a regular dependable salary, and decided to start a repair business… to live more by faith. This not only provided opportunity to mingle with all types of people with all types of needs, but it also gave us a chance to hire young men who needed to learn practical skills and how to operate their own business, as well as to provide employment for disadvantaged fellows who were adjusting to normal life outside of jail or prison.

In my office at home, I have three dominant items, put there intentionally to remind me of these three things: One is a crown of thorns. It’s a reminder of how much I’m worth, the cost of my redemption—Divine love. Secondly is a picture of my wife (that’s always a good idea!) reminding me of human love. And lastly, have you ever been in someone’s office, looking at all the certificates and diplomas that were framed and hanging on the wall? I have a few of those, but just don’t know where they are. But I thought it might be good to have something to hang up, so I fixed one up myself: “Status Cymbal”. It serves as a continual reminder, that unless my life is a channel of God’s love, I am but a sounding gong or a tinkling cymbal. I may be a country-living, home-schooling, exercising, vegan, self-supporting minister of the Gospel… but if I don’t have love, I am nothing. And if you don’t have love, you are nothing.

Mark Heisey’s book, How Cancer Cured Me, is available for purchase through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and locally at Cornerstone Bookstore.

This article was originally written for the Winter 2020 Edition of the Journey Magazine. This post has been sponsored by Dougnet Computer Consulting, available for all of your computer and software needs.

A Theology For Suffering