My husband and I were preparing for our youngest daughter’s first birthday party when I got the call that I had breast cancer. It was a blow to the gut. She was turning a year old in a week and my oldest was in first grade. How can I have cancer?

Let’s go back to how this started. When I was pregnant with my youngest daughter, I was told about a lady that lost her battle with breast cancer shortly after her child was born. There is a history of breast cancer in my family. I felt a powerful urge to talk to my doctor about having a mammogram after giving birth. I now know the powerful urge I felt was God moving me to discuss this with my doctor.

My doctor advised me to wait until my daughter was a year old. When I had the mammogram, I honestly wasn’t worried. I was just being proactive. I didn’t have a lump or any reason to believe I had cancer. After two mammograms and a biopsy, I received the call.

The next couple of hours I went from being numb to terrified. I lost my mom three years before, and I needed her. Her words came flooding into my thoughts. “Give your worries to God.” Anytime I was worried over the years, she would tell me to do this. I “tried” in the past but I would continue to worry.

Sitting that day, taking in all the information and feeling helpless, I asked God to to heal me and take my worries away. I felt a true peace come over me. It was the first time in my life that I was able to let go and trust in the Lord’s plan.

Our God didn’t stop there! He sent me an army of supporters that included friends, family, and people I just met the year before when my oldest daughter was in Kindergarten.

My army of supporters took care of my girls, cooked for us, drove me to treatments, and sold hundreds of “I wear pink for Tara” shirts to help pay my medical expenses. They even took turns spending the night with me in the hospital so my husband could be with the girls.

Treatment days were actually FUN! A different friend would drive me each time. It was a day of catching up and laughter. People would brag on me and tell me how positive I was about my diagnosis. I immediately told them that it wasn’t me, it was God. It was the first time in my life that I was truly able to give my worries to him. I had faith I would be healed and I was! November 7th will be the 14th anniversary of my diagnosis!

Here is what I pray you take away from my experience :

1. In times of struggle, surrender your worries to God and trust in his perfect plan!

2. Never put off that mammogram!