A Rae of Hope
There are about 2,930 names in the Bible, but only about a hundred of them finished well. Canadian Judy Rae wants to finish well.
“Heaven is looking better every day,” she said, her personality still shining through brightly, in spite of the cancer.
The disease has now reached her brain, both in the anterior and frontal lobes. “Although she has undergone radiation treatments, the cancer has not been arrested. There’s nothing more the medical field can do,” said Doug Rae, her husband and a director with Power to Change Ministries. It’s obvious that he knows: the only person who can heal Judy now is God.
Battling cancer has brought them closer together than ever. But it wasn’t always like that. When Doug and Judy were married in 1961, things didn’t flow smoothly. “We weren’t doing anything wrong; we just weren’t doing anything right,” Doug said. They had very different perspectives on God. When Doug chose to follow Christ soon after their marriage, he was alone in his decision.
Six years later, however, Judy agreed to accompany him to a Power to Change Ministries Executive Conference. The gathering concentrated on the theme of Christian commitment, and then and there Judy decided that she couldn’t be committed as a Christian until she became one. Vonette Bright, co-founder of Power to Change Ministries, seized the opportunity and led Judy to the Lord.
Over the years God healed and strengthened their marriage and also blessed them with three children: Susan, Wendy and Gary. Today Judy is grandma of three.
“If every mother and grandmother had the love and interest in her children that Judy does, the world would definitely be a better place,” said Doug. Carter, the eldest grandson, realized early on just how special his Mimi (grandma) is. At five, he asked her to marry him.
Apart from loving her family, Judy poured her creativity into fabric folk art. It became more than a hobby when more than 600 people showed up to enjoy the annual “Country House Craft Fair” she put on before Christmas. Exhibiting her own creations along with other craft enthusiasts in her community, Judy created a much-loved tradition. For many, Christmas just wasn’t the same without a visit to Judy’s craft fair.
In 1998 Judy was diagnosed with cancer. Her lumpectomy showed that only one lymph node was affected, but six months later doctors found that the cancer was moving at an alarming rate. Fourteen lymph nodes were cancerous. She continued to receive treatment, but the cancer soon spread to the liver and then to the chest cavity.
Judy had questions. She didn’t know where to turn to for answers, except to God. She also realized that other cancer victims would experience similar bouts of anger and frustration, and she wanted to make sure they knew where to find hope. With Judy Thorne of North Shore Alliance Church in North Vancouver, Judy started a support group for women with cancer called “Wings of Hope.”
“If you are wondering where God is in your journey as a woman with cancer, join us,” they say. The group meets every second Monday of the month to share their experiences, information on issues related to cancer and its treatment, as well as care for the spirit.
Although the path has not been easy, Judy praises the Lord daily. “Well, you know,” she says, “I’m just focused on Jesus.”
She is as determined as ever to finish well.
Judy Rae knows the peace that comes from living in the Spirit. Do you? Are you living your life in the power of the Holy Spirit?
God wants to be our leverage in living, empowering us to feel better about ourselves, more excited about our future, more grateful for those we love and more enthusiastic about our faith.
If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, God has given you His Holy Spirit to help you live life according to His perfect plan. Why not pray this simple prayer and by faith invite Him to fill you with His Spirit:
Dear Father, I need You. I acknowledge that I have sinned against You by directing my own life. I thank You that You have forgiven my sins through Christ’s death on the cross for me. I now invite Christ to again take His place on the throne of my life. Fill me with the Holy Spirit as You commanded me to be filled, and as You promised in Your Word that You would do if I asked in faith. I pray this in the name of Jesus. As an expression of my faith, I thank You for directing my life and for filling me with the Holy Spirit. Amen.
I thanked the Lord God from my loving heart that He showed me the way that I want it to be, the way that I know I have inpiration to continue serving Him more because God knows I wanted to be His writer, doing reflection in my room in thoughts for today family and be one His preacher and it came true in daily devotional; sometimes in our lives we dont know Gods mind, we dont know God prepared us a special way of journey that God knows what we like, God knows that we have peace, love and hope in His place. In trials that we
have even it simple or difficult God is there to cheer you up, gives you ideas on how to move on,gives you comfort, and you may feel His presence and when you pray privately talk to Him. He embraced you as a whole, because God knows who you are,God knows your character being a person, your way of life, He knows everything about you and God knows that day you submit yourself fully to God that makes His will and not your own will and God may say I will never forget you my child you are in my hand even numbered of your hairs I know even your plans and dreams. with Me you have a special Journey I call you “Judy Rae” and you
hear my voice for my voice is purity it cling in your heart that I am your God says the Lord God and as a children of God we follow Him wherever He goes. “The Pathway of Life” for in Gods hearts is truly our “HOME”, a place of Gods love acceptance like being you because with God we have surely HOPE!
In everyday of our lives we can face the real challenge because the word of wisdom is in us. the love and the understanding that we learn from God we also give light and love to others as they also make feel the real of God, we share some moments of truth on How God change our lives into new steps. for daily living we thanked and praise God because with Him we kept safe and embraced us with His loving arms. and accept us a whole person and all that is here in our hearts are already healed because of Gods love and understanding and give us always encouragement that we can because he trust us because we can do it to be new creation as like new born child and we grow more because of His loving kindess and He hold our hands together and walk with Him forever.
as it said Psalm 139:18 if I should count them ;they are more in number than the sand when I awake, I am still with thee.
In Jesus name
Amen