Just Shake It Off
One of the things I love about talking to people is the opportunity I find to share relevant Bible stories that can help annd impact the lives of those with whom I meet in conversation.
In the book of Acts (chapter 28, verses 1-6) there is a wonderful story about the Apostle Paul shipwrecked on the island of Malta and how he was bitten by a venomous viper. The story says that he “shook the snake off” into a fire and “suffered no harm”.
Several years ago, during Covid, my wife and I were serving the LORD in Mexico, and I was diagnosed with an “aggressive form of melanoma” (cancer). Praying with my wife about it that same hour, I felt the LORD say to me, “Just shake it off!” I knew that this was referring to that “Shipwreck story”.
Over the next thirteen months, whenever I was concerned or slightly perturbed about the growing ugliness on the back of my leg, I would shake my right hand down like I was shaking off a snake and say out loud, “Just shake it off!”
There is a longer version of this story, but, essentially, after thirteen months the melanoma literally fell off my leg, leaving behind raw flesh underneath. Interestingly a scab never formed in its place; the flesh just went back to normal skin, and I was cleared by a clinic that told me, “There is no cancer in that leg anymore!”
A couple of days ago in a shopping centre—the same one as yesterday’s story—I was hailed by a young fellow very keen to get me to donate towards a non-toxic cancer solution in Australia. Seeing the divine appointment the LORD was giving me to share my testimony, I was able to share the shipwreck story about Paul and how the LORD used that to keep me through a year of seeing melanoma defeated.
The ensuing conversation was special and Grigorio and Victor (his colleague) were able to hear of a today miracle (what Grigorio called it) of God healing cancer.
I walked away amazed yet again at how the LORD gives so many opportunities to share His life-giving and transformative Word with so many people whose paths I cross in my daily adventures with Jesus. Praise the LORD!