A Difficult Diagnosis–A Dependable God

Three simple words can change your life forever.

You have cancer. 

Those three words bring with them a suitcase filled with fear, anxiety, and pain. But for Jillian Craig, the day after her diagnosis, two encounters at Starbucks gave her a new perspective. 

“My husband, Nick, and I felt as though it was time for us to really lean into our church and deepen our walk with God when April of 2018 rolled around. It was the perfect time for us to get into spiritual family, because, in August of 2018, our life took an unexpected turn.

I was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer. 

The day after I was diagnosed was a day I’ll never forget. I’d dropped my youngest son off at preschool and headed to Starbucks to talk with someone I met at Milestone. I walked in to order my drink and could not stop crying. It was the first time I was alone after hearing the news I had cancer. 

Behind the counter was a teenage girl.  She comforted me and said she would pray for me. She asked me if I had a church home and of course, I said yes, and told her that my family attends Milestone. Amazingly, she did as well.

And, as it turned out, the woman I was meeting with told me she was a cancer survivor. God was already placing people around me to reassure me of His love and faithfulness. 

From that day on, I shifted my mindset to recognize God was all around me. 

The following weekend at Milestone, as I was getting seated, I looked up, and the barista from Starbucks was standing in front of me, singing on the platform. I couldn’t even believe it.  

After my first treatment of chemotherapy, my oncologist noticed that my tumor shrunk in HALF. In March of this year, I finally heard the words I had anticipated so greatly:

No evidence of disease. Cancer-free.  

Our lives have changed forever. Fast forward to a year later, and I’m so grateful for the challenges last year brought. Not every day was easy. Not every human interaction was fun. There were days when I did feel isolated and scared, but deep in my spirit, I knew He was there.  

God orchestrated everything by putting people in my path to walk alongside me, to remind me He was there all along.”

-Jillian Craig

Whether you or someone you love has heard those words, gotten a diagnosis that seems impossible, or been told bad news, there is hope. God is always working on our behalf even when we aren’t able to see it. Whether that reminder comes through the form of a barista offering to pray for you, or your spiritual family standing beside you, He is there.