Where is God When We Suffer?
How do we reconcile a God of love with cancer? How can we cling to hope when all we see is despair? How can our evilest circumstances possibly be turned for good?
In early 2014 Byron Leavitt learned he had stage four Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. What’s more, he was given only a 50/50 chance of beating it. Teetering on the brink between life and death, he found himself propelled into the fight for his life.
As he entered the fray, Byron determined to shine light into the cloying, malignant dark. So he began to write. He wrote of his miraculous victories, devastating defeats, grueling treatments and inner warfare. But, perhaps most of all, he chronicled a growing realization.
It is so easy in the valley of death to despair. To be devoured by the night and the crippling terror. To ask yourself, “Where is God? Has he left me?”
But what if, in the depths of utter darkness, we can somehow reach heights otherwise unattainable? What if, as we plummet into the clawing abyss, we find Someone who was waiting to catch us all along?
This is a book about life, death, love, loss and wonder. It is about eternity crashing into infirmity. It is a glimpse into lives wrought Of Hope and Cancer.
Previously published as The Complete Cancer Diaries, Of Hope and Cancer contains both books of Byron Leavitt's The Cancer Diaries. Of Hope and Cancer is a brutally honest, sharply funny story, a collection of musings about our world and the God who created it, and a guide to finding hope in the darkness when there's none to be seen. It will challenge you, it will inspire you, and it will help you push through your night to the light on the other side.
Whether you're battling cancer or something else entirely, whether it's you waging the war or a family member or a friend, use Of Hope and Cancer as a tool. Use it to see the world differently. Use it to find purpose in the pain. Use it to meet God again - or even for the first time. Use it to find peace in the wastelands.
This book also includes the section "10 Things to Do if You Get Cancer." This list chronicles the things that got Byron through his cancer, covering absolutely vital strategies he used to win like "turning the conversation." And, while these are the things Byron did to help him beat cancer, he has met people in a variety of situations who have found this list just as valid and necessary for their situations, whether it be health-related or not.
A note from the author: "Hi there, my friend. This is Byron Leavitt. Sorry to take up more of your time, but I just wanted to thank you for spending a few minutes to look over my book. But even more than that, I wanted to encourage you that no matter what you're going through, don't lose hope. God sees you. He's there with you. And He loves you. If there's anything I can do for you, let me know. I hope we get the chance to talk at some point in the future, and I hope that as you read my story you see your own reflected in it as well. Until next time, God bless you." - Byron
