I was diagnosed with a stage 3 ependymoma—a rare malignant tumor that sits above the brain stem. At first, no one knew what I had. I spent eight months going from doctor to doctor, only to be told it was all in my head, that I was making it up.

 

My family and I would pray, but I continued to get worse with no explanation. I remember asking myself, “Why me, God? What did I do to deserve this?” 

 

In August, I went through a 12-hour surgery that came with complications, and my life was not guaranteed. When I woke up, I couldn't walk, talk, or eat. I had to relearn everything all over again. The doctors told me I would never return to my old self and that I would need a feeding tube for the rest of my life. 

 

Every Sunday, as I lay in that hospital bed in the ICU, my mom would put an online church service on her computer. But I was uninterested. I was so angry at God and couldn't listen to someone talk so highly of Him when I felt like everything had been taken for me. I couldn’t see how God was anywhere in my situation.

 

But one Sunday, as I listened half asleep, the pastor read a verse: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). For the first time, I felt like God was speaking directly to me, and that He understood what I was going through. That comforted me. 

 

It made me realize that in moments of hopelessness—when it felt like my prayers weren't being answered and I saw little to no improvement—God was always there. I learned to overcome my worries through faith. It wasn't that my prayers were being unanswered; they were delayed because I was seeking my will instead of His. I let God correct me and heal me in His timing instead of my own. Instead of praying for a blessing, I prayed to be blessed. 

 

Today, I look back and realize how everything I went through was truly a blessing. What the doctors said would be impossible, God made possible. I can walk, talk, and eat again—not because of my strength, but because of His healing power and grace. Even in moments when I felt alone, God never abandoned me. He always knew what I was going through. 

 

Now, I live every day with God at the center of my life. I know that everything comes in His timing. I don’t rush and I don't worry, because I trust that what He has stored for me is greater than anything I could have ever imagined.