“God talked to me twice.”

Jerry loves to share his story with others!

As some of you may have noticed, I’m not posting as frequently. I’ve been out of town a lot and now I’m on deadline to get my manuscript finished for my book, From Incurable to Incredible: Cancer Survivors Who Beat the Odds.

The good news is that I’m going to have more Miracle Survivor stories to share with you. Today I’m featuring Jerry Starkes, a 66-year-old music store consultant and trombone player from Lubbock, Texas.  About eight years ago, Jerry was diagnosed with esophageal cancer and given a 5.6 percent chance of surviving. He went through a very aggressive surgical procedure which removed most of his esophagus and about a third of his stomach.

Add to that chemotherapy and radiation, and you could see how anyone could feel scared and defeated. But Jerry’s strong  faith not only pulled him through; it helped him lift others up:

Have you ever noticed how God sends the right person at the right place at the right time with the right message?

After our second trip to the hospital, we were feeling depressed and anxious about what was going to happen. Our next-door neighbor came up to us with a book of daily devotionals she had written. Of course we thanked her, and the first thing we did when we walked in the house was open up the book to that date. On that page was Psalm 27:14 – Wait for, hope for, and expect God – with a paragraph applying it to miracles. It was just what we needed.

I’ve always thought people who said God talked to them are a little weird. God talked to me twice, so I guess I’m a little weird. When I was in the hospital for surgery, I asked God, “Why are you keeping me alive? What’s my purpose?” In a clear voice I heard, “Follow Me. I will lead,” and “Don’t get in a hurry.”

 So I waited and hoped for God to answer the question, “What is my purpose?” One week short of a year after I first asked the question, I received the answer.

 I was sitting and pondering what God was trying to tell me. “I don’t have the answer yet,” I said to myself. I kept thinking how God had blessed me by bringing the right person at the right time with the right message.

 Suddenly the Holy Spirit spoke to me: “Duh, I’ve been telling you that you’re supposed to be at the right time, right place and at the right time for other people. But you won’t know when you do it.”

Jerry heeded the call and always looks for opportunities to share his inspiring story and be that “right person at the right time” for others. He’s cancer-free and is even back to playing trombone! Now that’s a miracle survivor!