Israel Lemus should not be alive today, but he gives thanks to God that he is.
In 2016, he had a massive seizure and was diagnosed with glioblastoma stage 4, the most advanced and aggressive form of the brain cancer. Over the next few years, he had three surgeries and every kind of cancer treatment available to deal with his golf-ball-sized tumor. Six years later, he feels cancer free and is enjoying a normal, happy life. Normal life included getting engaged, married, buying a house and changing careers.
Doctors are baffled, as the typical prognosis for his condition is 14-24 months to live. Doctors told Israel, who was 29 years old at the time, that he had two months to live.
“It’s a miracle,” said Dr. Jay-Jiguang Zhu, UTHealth Houston/Memorial Hermann. “We can see the disease on his MRI. That’s why we don’t use the word remission.” Because there is no cure for this brain cancer, Dr. Zhu says it’s a mystery as to why Israel has lived as long as he has.
“To me, it’s 100% God. His mystery is my God,” Israel told KHOU-TV. “Honestly, I’m thankful to God for every day. The first thing I do when I wake up and the last thing I do before going to sleep is thank God for that day.”
God’s Patient, Loving Voice
God uses life’s circumstances to draw us to Him. “God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not” (Job 33:1414For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. (Job 33:14)). If we know Him as our Lord and Savior, they should draw our hearts out in praise and thankfulness to Him, as they did in Mr. Lemus’ heart. If you do not know God as your Lord and Savior, in His love and compassion, He is trying to reach you. Do not harden your heart and become bitter towards God, for He is “long-suffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Every one of us must make a choice — to repent and place our trust in the death of Jesus on the cross for our sins, OR, to reject God’s only way of salvation. “He that believeth on the Son [Jesus] hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:3636He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36)). Everlasting life equals heaven; the wrath of God equals hell. What will your choice be?
How God used a seeming disaster to bring life to millions can be found in The Life Is in the Blood.