Because our modern society has taught us to be resistant to change, we might struggle to experience new seasons. Setting goals in a new year, starting a new job, moving to a new place, or struggling with health are good examples of life-changing seasons. Depending on the situation, new seasons can excite us or bring us anxiety and fear of uncertainty. Three years ago, a leg injury changed my life. During this journey, I gained valuable insights and learned key lessons that shape how I navigate new seasons in life. My recovery took more time than I thought. During this process, I realized how important it was to further develop a thankful heart while practicing self-care, both physically and spiritually.
The Chaos Crept In
After earning my master’s degree at the seminary, I pursued a doctoral degree. This desire grew out of my goal to promote greater inclusion of multicultural pastors and teachers in the church. I knew my academic journey would not be easy. However, I was not prepared to face what the future would bring, particularly with my overall health. By the time I was writing my doctoral dissertation proposal, a major injury caused an arterial hemorrhage in my left leg. This situation led doctors to the discovery of a mass in the same leg. In a few short weeks, all of my life goals were seemingly slipping away! I quickly went from planning how my dissertation writing would be in the coming years to focusing on surviving. It was clear that I had started a new season in life, even though I was reluctant to accept it. After extensive exams, doctors informed me I had a rare cancer, which attacked bones and soft tissues in the body. This was the beginning of my life-altering experience with cancer. I soon found myself unable to spend any time biking, walking trails, visiting the gym, or going to my favorite places. Besides the sudden removal of these loved hobbies, I also had difficulty dealing with the alarming diagnosis I had received. Circumstances did not stop there. Between the summer of 2022 until spring of 2023, I experienced a 9-month odyssey with ongoing chronic pain that persisted despite all my treatments. After surgery and throughout the rest of 2023 and 2024, I spent significant time recovering from surgery and regaining my balance. This is the third year that I’m focusing on a regular routine for tight muscles, flexibility, mobility, and self-care.
One question I frequently hear is the following: what helped me to better navigate this season of struggle in my life? In my pre-operative appointment with my surgeon, he spoke honestly with me, highlighting the importance of gratitude, even in my situation. I still remember his words: “With this type of very aggressive cancer, there are three typical outcomes: death, amputation of the leg, and removal of the tumor and impacted muscle. Although losing some function in your left leg is not ideal, it represents the best possible outcome.” He added, “Praise God for this!” Yes, my surgeon invited me to be more thankful for the opportunity God was giving to me, although I was unwilling to receive it. I must admit I definitely did not see that one coming!
I went through two leg surgeries, an intense chemotherapy treatment, several sessions of radiotherapy, serious falls on the ground, some emergency room trips, and several follow-up appointments with specialized doctors in order to recover my health again. Here’s what I’ve learned during this season of change and the experiences that came after it.
1. Trust in God Always
Fostering more trust in God during my cancer journey was a central key despite having some kind of faith crisis. My health deteriorated quickly, and my finances were heavily affected. I experienced God’s providential care in a special way, however. Against all odds, the tumor decreased 25% after chemotherapy and radiation, making radical surgery possible, a kind of surgery that removes a tumor and healthy tissue around it. God also brought me wonderful friends from my church and seminary community, who offered prayer and support when I needed it the most. Because of my increasing trust in God, I also built further trust in others and became more empathetic to those who suffer.
Over time, this way of experiencing God’s care brought me peace of mind and increased my well-being. My trust grew significantly through daily prayer and scripture reading. No doubt the Scriptures have several verses that talk about this. Among those that particularly helped me trust my future to God more fully are:
Psalm 143:8 (NLT) – “Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT) – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT) – “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
2. Be Open to New Experiences
When my oncologist prescribed me some intensive sessions of chemotherapy, I was reluctant to accept the treatment. I was fearful of receiving a port in my chest. I finished accepting the treatment but asked him to use a central venous catheter instead of a port. Although the central catheter worked, my veins later collapsed with the repeated use of intravenous injections.
Life circumstances can easily steal our joy and wellness, so it is important to give ourselves grace. As noted, my reluctance to receive a port in my chest had its own consequences. Later I regretted my decision. Despite this, God was at work even though I didn’t realize it. After finishing my chemotherapy and radiation treatment, I learned at the beginning of 2023 that my surgery would be possible. The tumor had decreased enough to be resectable, and my overall health had improved.
Some passages in the Scriptures highlight that God is working for us and leading our path. My favorite verses are:
Isaiah 41:13 (NLT) – “For I hold you by your right hand–I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.”
Philippians 2:13 (NLT) – “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”
Psalms 32:8 (NLT) – “The Lord says, I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.”
3. Be Thankful
Being thankful means showing appreciation for what someone does for us. I’m thankful God used cancer to challenge me towards greater gratitude, not only in the midst of having cancer but also when He restored my health. I will never forget that just a week after my radical surgery, I received a brief message from the surgeon’s office. “Pathology from your surgery showed a dead tumor with no cancer cells noted–great news!” My surgeon later confirmed that a resected tumor with over 90% dead tissue is hard to come by. I should definitely be thankful!
But living out a grateful life is hard. Although I’m thankful God restored my overall health, I still have to choose thankfulness on days when I’m not feeling great! I’m still recovering from the impact the cancer had on my left leg quadriceps. I sometimes wake up tired, and I don’t feel thankful. I put these feelings aside, however, and express some words of gratitude to God. Each morning–before making an espresso in my mocha pot, before checking my email, before doing something else–I offer the following simple yet powerful prayer: “Heavenly Father, thank you for another day. Thank you for giving me life, for restoring my health, and for recovering well. Amen!”
These biblical verses have deeply resonated in my life:
1 Thes. 5:16-18 (NLT) – “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT) – “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.”
Psalms 118:18 (NLT) – “The Lord has punished me severely, but he did not let me die.”
Redefining My Perspective of Life
Embracing self-care and gratitude is crucial for navigating new seasons. Trusting our future to God not only opens the door to appreciating more what He does for us, but it also brings us peace of mind. Being more open to new experiences allows us to see what God is currently working on in our lives, even though we might not understand the reasons behind it. And finally, showing gratitude is a way we care for our souls. These spiritual disciplines can significantly promote our well-being, making us better at navigating life’s unexpected changes.
Most of all, I learned that experiencing new life seasons might hold us back, the hard way. Anxiety and fear of uncertainty can trick us and take us to places we don’t want to stay. An antidote to this issue is to approach new seasons with a broader view of self-care and greater gratitude. You might be surprised at how worthwhile it is!
(by Isaias D’Oleo Ochoa, Doctor of Philosophy Student)