Blessing. It’s a word rarely ever associated with a tragedy like cancer. Cancer lives on the other end of the spectrum from blessings. Cancer is a freaking curse.

While I agree that cancer is a terrible curse, I’ve come to learn some powerful insights about life and God having now lived with cancer for the last 12 years. I’ve gained some new perspectives that now lead me to say, yes, cancer is a curse, but what if…

In 2009, my life was happy and filled with adventure and big dreams. I had traveled and lived around the world for several years. At 23, I came back home to Southern Oregon. I was narrowing down my choice of colleges, where I planned to study nursing. 

Cancer derailed everything. At 23, I was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer. “Life” got shelved, and I underwent a double mastectomy, reconstruction surgery, one year of chemotherapy, followed by three years of hormone treatments. It turned my word upside down and slapped all my happy plans to the ground. It was quite traumatic, and it felt like a tornado stormed in, tossed me around for a year, and then spit me out.  

But, I was declared “cancer-free.” After finishing all my treatments, and after some much-needed therapy, I chose to start a new chapter and attempt to start living life again. I moved to Southern California, where I soon met the man I would marry. 

Joel and I were married in 2015. We were crazy in love, and I was experiencing the joys of life at a whole new level. 

But just eight months in the cancer returned, this time as stage four breast cancer. Stage four means the cancer has spread (or metastasized) to other organs in the body. My cancer had spread to my liver, lungs, kidney, spine, and at least nine tumors in my brain. One doctor gave me just 4-6 months to live, and that was with treatment. 

While stage one cancer turned my world upside down, this new diagnosis shattered it into a thousand pieces. We felt broken, terrified, angry, and lost. We felt painfully alone.

It took about a year, but eventually, we started crawling forward. 

Then we learned to stand.  

Then walk. 

Then run. 

There’s a lot of work, a lot of falling and getting back up, that helped us learn how to stand, walk, and run again. Probably the key factor in helping us run toward life again is our shared faith in God. Knowing my Father is always with me, cares for me, and has some Masterplan and purpose in all of this is the primary reason we are where we are at today. Oh, did I mention that it’s been seven years since that initial re-diagnosis?

Another enormous factor that helped us stand and fight again is what I want to really focus on here. And that’s purpose.

My heart has always leaned toward helping and serving people. Prior to cancer, my plans were to become an oncology nurse and help cancer patients. I don’t know why; I think God just put that on my heart. I never thought I’d be a cancer patient who needs help! 

Back to the word ‘blessing.’ I will never say cancer is a blessing, but what if…

What if cancer, like other tragedies, has the potential to carry within it hidden blessings? 

What if these hidden blessings are quite remarkable and what if they would never have been discovered or experienced had the tragedy not befallen us?

As I said, it took time, but that’s how Joel and I started seeing our tragedy. 

Okay, this is where we’re at. It is what it is. How can we make this into something meaningful?

It’s that whole lemon lemonade thing. 

Christian artist Laura Story has a beautiful song called “Blessings.” Laura has a remarkable story and has (and is) going through some serious life trials. I love the chorus of this song:

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops?

What if Your healing comes through tears?

What if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You're near?

And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?

As much as it terrifies me, I love that last sentence: what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?

That’s what I mean by What if…

What if there is a much bigger purpose behind my (and our) pain? What if God is up to something so much bigger than I could ever have imagined for my life? What if my original plans, though not wrong, were small and even selfish? What if there really are hidden blessings and purpose in my pain?

Doesn’t that change how you see things like cancer? It doesn’t mean it stops sucking, but it does take my tiny life perspective and smash open the doors, exposing a whole new world of possibilities. Big ones.

It was this type of thinking, though still in its infancy, that led Joel and me to start Rebekah’s Hope, which exists to help cancer fighters find hope through our authentic, hope-filled media. 

This new purpose in life–to help other people struggling with cancer–has created new energy within us, a new drive to push forward and labor. It’s made life both meaningful and exciting again, despite the pain and suffering we still face every day. 

To quote the title of Donald Miller’s latest book, we truly feel like heroes on a mission. 

Of our many projects for Rebekah’s Hope, one that we are truly excited about and proud of is our clothing line. We’ve created over 50 unique shirts for men and women, hats, mugs, carry bags, and more. It’s all geared toward those walking the cancer journey and meant to flip the bird to cancer and inspire courageous hope. 

We just sold one of our “Straight Outta Chemo” shirts to a guy who wore it on his last day of chemo. We love hearing those kinds of stories! 

I’ve met many people who seem to feel embarrassed or ashamed that they have cancer. They hide it from everyone and keep it a secret. I’ve done so much brain radiation that I’m now permanently bald, and I just say screw it. This is me and I’m going to rock my bald head. I love our shirts help people take a stand (for themselves) and boldly declare to the world that they are courageous fighters. 

It’s why we call our product store, Badass Camp!

Back to the idea of finding your life's purpose. I don’t know what’s going on in your life or what you’re facing, but what if… Just what if there’s something deeper in it all that you still need to discover and move toward? Is it easy to do or discover? Heck no. Is it worth it? A million times over.

Joel actually just finished writing the manuscript for his next book. This will be his seventh book! It’s that whole purpose thing and compels him like a dragster. The book is titled “Find Your Life Purpose,” (go figure) and we’re aiming to publish it in early 2023. 

But we still have something very cool for you now and it’s free, at least for now. Joel also wrote a companion workbook called “Find Your Life Purpose Action Plan Guidebook” (go figure).  

It’s a form-fillable PDF designed to help you discover and initiate your life’s purpose. 

If you're feeling a little lost in life or looking to do something fresh and exciting--uh, like discover why you're here!--then you need this guide. It will light a new flaming fire in your heart to charge forward into awesomeness. 

Discover: Joel and Rebekah's Story

You will learn how Joel found his life purpose, but 10 years later lost it (or lost sight of it), and then how he rediscovered his life purpose in a most unexpected way.  

Discover: 8 Steps to Find YOUR Purpose

Through a process of self-discovery, you will learn what things make you feel alive.  When we put all the pieces together, you should find your life's purpose.

Discover: 8 Traits Needed to DO Your Purpose

We explore 8 qualities you will need to start and continue any new vision or venture AND how you can cultivate those qualities in your life. 

This is a totally free gift from us to you. 

Oh, and don’t forget to check out all our cool shirts and accessories!

With Love, 

Rebekah & Joel