He Put Me In to Bring Me Out: My Journey through the Flames of Breast Cancer

By ROBIN WALKER-SHANKS

He Put Me in To Bring Me Out is an authentic and riveting account of a journey of faith through trial to triumph. A transparent glimpse into the fear the pain and all the emotions that come with being told " you have cancer". Descriptively written with notes of reflective humor, this book is a must read for those facing this difficult and life changing event. You'll be inspired to persevere in the face of this formidable foe.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gatekeeper Press
• Release date: Feb 25, 2023
• ISBN: 9781662937484

Book preview

Chapter 1

A Promise is a Promise

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned. Nor shall the flame scorch you. Isaiah 43:2

I was falling headfirst, bound hand and foot into a raging fire whose flames consumed our captors yet had no effect on me. This could have been the thought process of Shadrach, Meschach, or Abednego. The heart-pounding moments when the furnace door is shut. Then you realize you are not alone. God is right there with you in your furnace.

The week started with a fire on Tuesday at the Continuing Care Retirement Community, where I work as a Clinical Nurse Manager. We had to evacuate over fifty residents. There were no injuries even in the midst of all the walkers, wheelchairs, alarms, smoke, and confusion. To the glory of God, everyone made it out unharmed.

Unbeknownst to me, this was only the beginning of what would be quite a week. Wednesday morning, while walking Kandi, my four-year-old Papillion dog, I heard a man’s voice yell, hey As I turned, I saw a huge pitbull barreling towards Kandi and me with the owner running, trying to catch him. I had just enough time to pick her up when the dog began to pounce. I held her high in the air and kept alternating sides to keep him at bay. The dog was relentless and kept jumping on me, trying to get Kandi for what seemed like several minutes. Fear has a way of magnifying everything. The owner finally caught up and restrained his dog. His only words to me were, he didn’t bite you. In all my life, I could never remember being so afraid. The shock of it all wore off as I drove to work. I realized that the dog did not bite me! My God stepped in as a shield and protected my Kandi and me. The Lord showed me just like I was holding my precious dog out of harm’s way, and He was doing the same for me. I didn’t have a choice. I had to pull over on the George Washington Parkway for a quick praise break. God is great and greatly to be praised!

It’s now Thursday night, and sleep is far from me. After tossing and turning for an hour, I found myself in the recliner, reading my bible. The phone rings once and stops. Ordinarily, I’d just dismiss it as a wrong number, but it’s three o’clock in the morning. I press *69, and on the other end, I hear the garbled voice of my brother. He sounds like he is short of breath and somewhat confused. I asked him where he was, but he couldn’t tell me. All he could say in response was, sandwich, sandwich. It was indeed the grace of God that helped me realize he was at Subway around the corner. I called 911 and told them he was a cardiac patient and where he was located. I quickly got dressed and ran to the car. It was raining so hard I could barely see the road. I was praying the entire time until I arrived. When I arrived, the EMTs had my brother, Vincent, out of his truck and in the back of the ambulance. When I stepped into the ambulance, he was lying very still on the stretcher, and at that moment, it felt like my heart had stopped. Just then, one of the paramedics said, I think this is your sister, and he turned his head to look at me. All I could say was, God, I thank you. Even though he was in acute congestive heart failure and required hospitalization, I knew God would heal him, and He has done just that! I left the hospital with a sense of peace and headed to work. I knew he would receive the care he needed. Fueled by my 7-11 coffee, I made it through the day!

That week would serve as a precursor for the weeks, months, and years to come. The challenges, the fear, and the trials were just a glimpse into the very near future for me. The furnace was being prepared, and the temperature was rising. Little did I know, this would be a preview of what was ahead in my life. I vividly remembered the pitbull jumping on me, trying to get at my Kandi. A couple of times, the pitbull's front paws were on my upper arm, attempting to get my little doggie. I saw myself whirling and turning, keeping her high in the air, making all of his attempts futile. I had my Kandi securely in my hands. That pitbull could not and would not get to her. Even though he was relentless, I prevailed, and she remained safe. The Lord was preparing me. It was my own illustration! Like I held on to Kandi and kept her from harm, God would be holding onto