Hope is an Anchor
When October comes around, the world turns pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. For some, it feels overdone: ribbons on coffee cups, slogans that don’t capture the reality of breast cancer, or the life that follows after the diagnosis. But for me, it’s personal. I’ve lived through breast cancer. I’ve felt the weight of the diagnosis, the fear before every scan, the exhaustion of treatment, getting to ring the bell. Even now, almost 9 years after hearing those words, “You have breast cancer,” I still carry the lasting effects, and I have no evidence of cancer in me.
But here’s the truth: breast cancer doesn’t just affect the person diagnosed. It impacts spouses, children, parents, siblings, friends, coworkers—whole families and communities who walk the journey alongside us. That’s another reason this month matters. It gives us the chance to remember that no one fights alone, and that when one person suffers, many others carry the weight too.
That’s why awareness is more than ribbons. It’s about remembering, standing together, and hoping for more—for those going through treatment, for those living without disease, and especially for those living with Stage 4, who wake up every day knowing their journey may have no finish line.
The Bible speaks into this kind of perseverance. Paul reminds us in Romans 5:3-4, “We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” I’ve seen that truth in the faces of those fighting breast cancer - perseverance that gives birth to hope even when the road is long. Two of the women who reached out to me after my diagnosis are battling Stage 4 now. They are both doing well right now, but they live in a constant state of wondering what’s around the corner.
In my own journey, I’ve leaned on God’s promise in Isaiah 41:10: “Fear not, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you.” Those words became my anchor when I felt weak, reminding me that I was never alone. And I’ve been blessed with an amazing circle of family and friends who carried me with their prayers and presence.
Supporting breast cancer awareness is one way we can live out Galatians 6:2: “Bear one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Because this disease touches so many lives, our prayers, our voices, and even our advocacy can help lift the weight that families are carrying.
I believe God is still in the business of healing. And although full, physical healing may not come on this side of heaven, we look forward to the day when there is no more suffering.
Until then, let’s allow our awareness to turn into action, our compassion into prayer, and our faith into hope—for ourselves, for those still fighting, and for the families walking alongside them. God bless.
