Running the Race with the One: I Love You, I’M with You & All Is Well!

By Lou Richardson

This book is my testimony, my journey through cancer. I am healed from this dreadful disease. Cancer is a devastating disease, but it does not have me. Cancer is not greater than my creator.

I am healed, delivered, and set free from cancer. This was a giant that had to fall!

Running the Race with the One is written to inspire you to never give up on God!

The Lord knows the plan that He has for you, and His plan will come to fruition. He can do all things but fail.

Run your race with endurance, persevere, always trust the Lord. Never doubt.

Run the race with the One who is the winner.

Rememberyou have the victory!

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Apr 25, 2017
• ISBN: 9781512781069

Lou Richardson

Lou Richardson is sixty-two years old, a single mother of four amazing children; she resides in Houston, Texas. Lou has eleven grandchildren and one great-grandson; She loves her family and is grateful to be a mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She enjoy taking brisk walks, strolls on the beach, and yoga classes. She says this helps her to relax and also contributes to her keeping physically fit. Lou was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2008 and was healed while sick. She was inspired by the living word of God to write about her journey with cancer. Her desire is that other survivors and their family members will gain knowledge, and be encouraged from reading her story. She believes that we learn and grow from going through the challenges of life. Running the Race with the One, Jesus, you will reach your destiny, and along the way, you can help others who may have encountered what you’ve been through. It’s not a race of speed or who can finish first but to understand that you are not running this race alone, but with the One who will see you through. Lou’s journey has been tedious, but by God’s grace, she has persevered. He has never left her nor has He forsaken her.

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Copyright © 2017 Lou Richardson.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

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Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Author Photo by Maurice Wells

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ISBN: 978-1-5127-8107-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-8108-3 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-8106-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017904481

WestBow Press rev. date: 04/07/2017

Contents

Introduction Lou’s Take

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Letters from Loved Ones

Survivor Stories

Chapter 1 Real-Life Story

Chapter 2 Here We Are, Stay Hopeful

Chapter 3 Insurance/Assurance

Chapter 4 Tedious Journey, but Joy Comes in the Morning

Chapter 5 Be Filled with Knowledge

Chapter 6 Stay Connected: United We Fight Cancer

Chapter 7 Testing 1, 2, 3. It’s Only a Test

Resources

To my Lord and Savior, I give all glory.

I love You, Lord. You are amazing. If it had not been for the Lord, I would not be here today, writing His book.

When I began to write this book, I did not yet have the title for it; I called it His Book.

The words I knew had to come from Him; I did not know how to begin or how to put my experiences into words.

I wanted to tell the world, but did not know how to begin. I had so many thoughts racing through my mind, but I did not know where to begin to speak to my readers.

But He placed a powerful woman in my path: His servant, an author, and a coach.

She gave me a direction to take that blessed me, and so I began to write.

I remember her first words to me were Sit down in a quiet place and begin to write. She told me to write as if I were having a conversation with one person because my thoughts were, How am I going to tell everybody my story? There’s so much I want to say to help others who may be going through this or to help a loved one or friend; what do I say?

Her words to me were, No, don’t think of it that way; just write as if you are having a conversation with one person, someone who’s asking you questions about cancer and your experiences. Answer that person.

I found this to be so helpful, and it made my writing so much easier.

Blessings, Coach. I am thankful that our paths crossed. Won’t He do it!

Running the Race with the One is also dedicated to all cancer survivors and overcomers.

You may be picking up this book facing a cancer diagnosis; this is why I was urged to write this book, in the hope that these penned words will help you fight for life, not only this life but eternal life. Never give up on our Lord, the healer, and never give up the fight. You may give out, but don’t give up.

Remember, this too shall pass.

As an encouragement, no matter how tedious the journey or difficult the fight, keep fighting.

And in memory of those diagnosed, who fought courageously and lost the battle to this dreadful disease: You are not forgotten; your memory is alive.

I honor you with the writing of this book.

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the Righteous Judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing (2 Timothy 4:7–8 KJV).

As you are with Jesus, you know that it was all worth it.

Introduction

Lou’s Take

My first thoughts about the diagnosis was, Is this real?

What? Not me! This can’t be happening.

I must be having a nightmare; I will awaken to find that it was all just a bad dream.

I’ve heard about others who have been diagnosed, but not me.

Why do we always think, Not me?

I’ve heard stories about cancer, even as early as an adolescent, when our neighbor was diagnosed with breast cancer, but I never thought it would be me.

I look back and recall the day I heard the word cancer and the word malignant from my radiologist, after having my left breast biopsied.

I recall the look on the nurse’s face when she said, I’ll be right back, to the radiologist; that look confirmed what I’d already suspected.

After the ultrasound, the radiologist said, Ms. Richardson, we want to schedule a biopsy.

She wanted to prove what she already knew.

I must say that after hearing all of that, I did not hear much else. My memory is foggy from that moment.

And everything spoken after the c word seemed to be a fading bunch of sounds.

After the biopsy confirmed the mass was malignant, I was told that I had breast cancer and would need to move forward ASAP.

I would need to schedule an appointment with an oncologist and a surgeon.

I was provided with a few names of oncologists and surgeons.

The oncologist and surgeon would determine whether they’d perform a mastectomy or lumpectomy of my left breast.

I do recall the nurse asking if I had a doctor in mind; no, as I’ve never been diagnosed with cancer.

And no one in my family had ever had cancer.

Many thoughts entered my mind on the drive home. It was the longest drive ever. And to this day, I don’t remember being behind the wheel.

After arriving home, I decided to call a meeting with my children and tell them.

I wondered what their reaction to this unexpected and shocking news would be.

I thought of my dad of eighty-plus years and about my siblings and friends. My thoughts were going a hundred miles per second.

So many things that we take for granted and choose not to let enter our thoughts.

When we are told such unexpected, shocking health news, so many ideas