Calise's story left me with a question I could not shake, and it goes straight to the heart of living hope in Jesus. When I walked through my own cancer journey back in 2017, I already believed in Him — but I did not always turn to Him first. And that one habit, or the lack of it, shaped everything about my peace.

THE LIVING HOPE IN JESUS THAT DOES NOT DEPEND ON A SCAN

Peter wrote to hurting, frightened believers and reminded them that in Christ we have been given "new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Peter 1:3, NIV). I love that word living. Because Jesus rose from the grave, this hope actually breathes. It holds you. Moreover, it does not rise and fall with your latest scan results, your bloodwork, or the tone in your doctor's voice.

That is what I watched carry Calise through the darkest valley. Her hope was not anchored to a good report — it was anchored to a risen Savior. As a result, even before her scan came back clear, she already had something cancer could not touch.

FIRST, MIDDLE, OR LAST?

Here is my honest gut-check, and maybe it is yours too. When my diagnosis came, was I truly starting with the Holy Spirit? Or was I adding Him in later — after the doctors, the statistics, the Google searches, and the fear had already crowded into my mind?

I want to be transparent: I did not always get this right. I could get so wrapped up in what was being said and what the numbers meant that Jesus became something I reached for last instead of first. However, from my own experience with cancer, I can tell you this plainly. When I turned to Him first — before the worry, before the planning — my hope and my peace increased dramatically over every time I turned to Him last.

So let me ask you gently: when the hard news comes, when are you using the power He left with us? First, middle, or last? He did not leave us alone after the resurrection. Instead, He gave us the Holy Spirit — a Helper, an Advocate — to prove He is with us all the time. The question is simply whether we are using what He already gave.

FEAR DOES NOT CANCEL YOUR LIVING HOPE IN JESUS

Let me be clear about one more thing: having living hope in Jesus does not mean you never feel afraid. Even Jesus prayed in anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane before the cross. Therefore, if you have ever whispered, "Lord, I'm scared," or "God, why is this happening?" — that does not disqualify your faith. It places you right alongside the people of Scripture who wrestled honestly and still held on to God.

And here is the promise for those moments. Romans 8:38-39 (NIV) says that "neither death nor life, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." If you belong to Jesus, cancer cannot separate you from His love — not one cell, not one scan, not one sleepless night. Beyond even this life, He told us in John 11:25 (NIV), "I am the resurrection and the life." He is your comfort now and your future forever.

No matter what you are facing on your journey with cancer or in life, remember: you are NEVER ALONE. Jesus and the Holy Spirit are always with you and ready to help. All you have to do is ask, give it all to Jesus, and let Him go to work. May God bless you — and thank you for reading.

To hear the Calise's full story, please listen to the episode below.

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST — Calise's Story of Hope