I pretty much lost everything that I had built in my life, but this also had to happen so that what God had instore for me could come to light. The physical things were possessions I had made for myself and not necessarily what God intended for me to have. This is the story of Jesus and John the Baptist. John representing the natural man and Jesus the spiritual man. John said that he, the natural man, had to decrease so that Jesus, the spiritual man, could increase. The physical I had made for myself had to go away so the things created by God could take their place.
I wasn’t happy about losing all that I had worked so hard for in my life and again I was discouraged with seeking the Truth and I began to drift back to the world. While I was living back in the world, I got really sick and felt I needed to see my doctor. The doctor told me that I was sick, and I let him know that was why I came in to see him. He said you don’t understand your blood pressure is too high, your cholesterol is too high, and your liver enzymes are out of sight. He said we need to start you on blood pressure medicine, cholesterol medicine and do more blood work. I told the doctor that I knew what was causing my dis-ease and to give me six months and I would turn it around. He said without medication he was afraid I didn’t have six months.
I went home and as I stood on my front porch I began to talk to God. I told him I knew the cause of my health problems that I was not doing what I needed to do spiritually. I told God I was tired of the world and frustrated with the way things were going in my life. I told God that if I came back to the spiritual side that either He showed me that His promises are true and give me the answers that I was seeking or I was going to bust hell wide open, cause I just didn’t care anymore. Well, be careful what deals you make with God. I resumed my studies and within six months when I went back to the doctor, he was amazed that all my vital signs were back to normal.
Some time went by and the knowledge kept coming. To unload all the information in my head I went to my computer and began to record it. In two days, I had written over 400 pages on spiritual topics. I was so excited about all the information that God had revealed to me that I wanted to share it with my church and all my friends. Unfortunately, neither were interested. I felt like Stephen, who because of his over enthusiasm for God was stoned to death. The more I spoke of what I had learned the more I was ignored. This made me even more discouraged. I had all these revelations about God, and no one wanted to them. So, I told God instead of me trying to appeal to the masses to send the individuals he wanted me to talk to. If I couldn’t reach them collectively, I would reach them one by one and they came. Over forty years I have spoken to over a thousand individuals. And they still continue to show up.
By now a large amount of time had passed. I finished revising my book “The Prodigal Steps,” and I had accumulated volumes of information on Spiritual matters and most importantly I had found the Truth and all the answers about life that I had been seeking. I felt really good about myself and could not wait to see what the next spiritual event that would occur. Be careful what you ask for because you may get it all and then some things that you don’t want.
In 2017 I was trying to get back in physical shape. I had spent so much time and effort writing that I had not taken very good care of myself. I was lifting weights, trying to lose a few pounds, when I had this sharp pain in my side. It felt as if someone had stabbed me with a knife. I thought that I may have pulled a muscle while working out so I stopped exercising so that it could heal. This went on for a few months and the pain just got worse. My boss got tired of hearing me moan and groan about the pain and suggested that I go to see a doctor.
I told her my doctor had retired and wasn’t sure where I should go, so she booked me an appointment with her physician. The doctor scheduled me an x-ray of my chest and an ultrasound of my liver. It was my right side where I was experiencing the pain. The x-ray came back clear, my lungs were in good shape, but the ultrasound showed something on the outside of my liver. The doctor suggested that I have an MRI to look inside my liver just in case.
I had an appointment on Wednesday and on Monday I got a call from the doctor’s office to come in early. When your doctor has you come in two days before your scheduled appointment it can’t be good. I anxiously sat waiting in the examination room when the doctor came in. He couldn’t look me in the eye. I asked, “how bad is it,” and he said, “Its liver cancer and its terminal.” He suggested that I get my affairs in order and maybe see an oncologist. Well that was it for me, life was over. I told my friends and family, and they were all saddened by the news.
I got the grim diagnosis February of 2017. The first of March I finally got in to see an oncologist. He reviewed the other doctors report and agreed with his findings. He told me without treatment I only had about six months to live. That would mean by August my life would be over. My brother went with me to my appointment and as the doctor told us the news I turned to my brother and said, “Well that’s it, I’m going to take the six months and move on.” We left the oncologist’s office and went downstairs to Starbucks to have coffee and some long overdue conversation.
We talked about our childhood and all of the tragedies that had affected our lives. He told me that he had not been the big brother to me that he should have been and that if I decided to start the cancer treatment that he would be there for me. I thanked him for his honesty but told him if God doesn’t give me a sign that I was done. I told him I had found the answers I was seeking and was satisfied at this time in my life. I told Lamar that the only unfinished business I had in this world was my son.
I told my brother that before I leave this world, I would like to reconcile with my son whom I had not seen in over fifteen years. My brother confessed that he didn’t know how to do that. I told him that maybe God will show me a sign.
The oncologist had scheduled me another MRI and I decided to keep the appointment. The MRI was scheduled for Monday and the doctor’s office called me to tell me that the appointment had to be rescheduled for Friday because my insurance company had not yet approved the scan. I was in a lot of pain at the time and on some powerful pain medication. I didn’t want to sit at home and decided to go back to work. Because of all the pain medication I was afraid to drive so my brother came and picked me up and took me to the office. My boss had left that morning for a meeting in our Atlanta office but when she got to Cartersville there was a wreck blocking the interstate. So, she decided to turn around and come back to the office. We are sitting in the office at lunch and my boss asked me if I had eaten. I told her no, so we decided to go to lunch together something that we never did unless we were traveling together. Chinese food was the only food I felt I could eat so she took me to a local restaurant in town.
As we sat eating our lunch, I looked over and there were four guys sitting at the table next to us. One of them looked at me and waved. Being friendly I returned the wave. My boss asked me if I knew them and I said no I haven’t a clue. Then it hit me. I said to my boss, “That’s my son.” She said, “no way”. I said, “Yes, I know that’s my son.” Remember, I had not seen him in years. As he started to leave, I went over and said, “Don’t I know you?” And he said I’m your son. I said to him that I had some bad news, that I had been diagnosed with stage four cancer and had only months to live. I told him that I didn’t want to leave this world knowing that my son and I were not on good terms. He agreed and too wanted to reconcile our relationship. Later, I asked my son how often he ate at this restaurant and he said he hadn’t been there in over two years. He said it was a last-minute decision my one of his friends to eat there.
I had done what God had asked of me, what he asks of all us. To seek the kingdom first. God says that if you will do this that He will restore all that the evil one has taken from us. I was happy with my spiritual life and wasn’t upset when I found I had only months to live. I felt I could stand before my maker and not feel ashamed. God said he would restore the things I had lost in my life, but He didn’t tell me how He was going to do it. It was the cancer that brought it all back together. God said, “Larry, you have done your part now let me do My part.” God said, “I’m going to show you that my promises are true.” “You drew close to me now let me draw close to you.”
And then it began.