Skip to main content

He is good.



When Dad called us to tell us that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer, we were all in a state of shock. At the end of the call, my brother, Josh, prayed and thanked God for who He is and that we can trust Him with anything. When talking with my sister, Beth, she shared that she had been praying that we would want above all else the Healer, not the healing, and the Saviour, not the saving. It's not what we hold on to in this journey, but who.

My response is usually to write something so I wrote a poem:

I know you are good
It's all that I know
Everything else is uncertain
Your goodness is sure
Your love surrounds me
Your peace is secure
You hold me in the storm
You hide me in your arms
I'm fixed to you—not going anywhere
You will never let me go
For you are good

No one in our family thinks that our journey is the only one. Many of you reading this have walked a similar, or harder, path and have your own stories to tell. Our story is one of many. Our prayer is that our story connects with yours and brings hope, life and encouragement to your heart. We don't know what the future holds but we know who holds the future. And He is good.

Posted by: Jordan Hageman

Comments

  1. May God keep you in peace and heal you. Courage!

    padre Michel Martin

    ReplyDelete
  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Praying for your total healing and full recovery. We want you to get back on stage with David and Murray in our conferences. We believe God will do that. Your election and re-dedication in Victoria, BC are still fresh in my memory. God knows that and He will honor you accordingly. Our church, our prayer team and the Maritime District Prayer team are praying for you & for your family. – Balan Swaminathan, District Prayer Coordinator

    ReplyDelete
  4. Holding you and your family in thought and prayer. God will not leave you or forsake you.
    Marj Pettinger

    ReplyDelete
  5. Jordan, you write like David lives - with grace and favor. Believing and praying for a miraculous, breakthrough story to unfold in David's life. Thank you for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Bro David, we will be praying fervently for you. We are believing for a powerful healing from God. Pastor David Ripley, Grace Christian Fellowship.

    ReplyDelete
  7. David, my friend. The church in Vanuatu is praying.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Margaret and I shall commit to prayer for all of you as your journey unfolds. The Lord is present in the known and the unknown.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Praying for you Hazzard family!!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. David, I wake up to this news in the Philippines on the morning I am going to teach on healing to a class of pastors and Christian leaders. We will pray for you and be assured that Liz and I will keep you in our prayers throughout the journey. Rainer

    ReplyDelete
  11. We are praying for God's encouragement, strength and healing. We thank God for you life and ministry David!

    Dave and Beth Slater

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thinking and praying for everyone.

    Love from the Birkin Family (Chatham)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Yes, we do have a similar journey/story. But we also serve the same God and believe the same way! David, Stacey, Jordan, Josh, Bethany, Luke, and families - We are standing with you and believing for a supernatural healing! Our God is able! Yes, HE IS GOOD - ALL THE TIME especially in the midst of these darkest of valleys here. Peace and comfort to each of your hearts! He's got each of you. It's okay to be angry, upset, sad, etc. He understands all of that too! He's our loving Heavenly Father. His love is immeasurable for each one.

    We are also believing with you for wisdom and strength for EVERY DECISION (health-related and otherwise) that needs to be made. He's got your back!

    Mama was a winner whether she was healed earth-side or heaven-side. She was excited for eternity. She is now truly living like never before with her Savior. She has been raised from death (earth-side) to eternal life with Christ. We miss her but know that we do not grieve as those who have no hope. We look forward with great anticipation to a wonderful reunion! I feel the closest to her when worshipping the Lord as I know that she is doing the same.

    Blessings to you each one!

    Joy-Grace Wright-Caldwell (previously Lonergan)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Praying for your Dad and you all the Shepherds. 29 years ago your Mom and Dad walked through cancer with me. We have a wonderful big God ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿ™

    ReplyDelete
  15. The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new EVERY MORNING; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV)

    ReplyDelete
  16. My prayers echo so many others, but there is power in the prayers of God's people. So we join as one for our friend, classmate and leader. You are not alone on your journey. We kneel in the Spirit's Presence on your behalf.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Praying for you David. I've walked on some of this path and God has done great things. He's the Great Physician and Specialist in miracles. Love you Dave. Wayne

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wayne Hilsden wrote this the previous comment.

      Delete
  18. You are in our prayers David. I will have the church family pray for you together in the morning.

    ReplyDelete
  19. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Praying for your Dad and the family that you and he would know that we are walking this journey with him. He has been faithful and God will honour his faithfulness....Blessings.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Praying for your Dad and the family that you and he would know that we are walking this journey with him. He has been faithful and God will honour his faithfulness....Blessings.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Oh Jordan, You guys have always been one of our favourite families. Bethany's words really spoke to me. Please know that we will keep tracking your journey and praying for your entire family. Hugs! The Gauvreaus

    ReplyDelete
  23. Will keep David and your family in prayer.

    ReplyDelete
  24. David:
    Please be assured of our prayers.
    Ruth McAlister let us know of the turn in your health and immediately you became lodged in our thoughts and prayers.
    May hope propel you, peace settle you and the love of Christ Jesus ever assure you He is near.
    In high regard of your witness and life example.
    With affection,
    John and Debbie Deacon

    ReplyDelete
  25. Dear Bro. David. We join in prayer for you. Amidst the storms of Life, God is at work.
    Lyman

    ReplyDelete
  26. Praying for healing, comfort and the Peace that passes all understanding, today.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Dear David and Family: Know that you are loved by so many! Polly and I will be remembering you in prayer, that He will bring strength, joy and yes, even laughter at this time of battle. May the Lord truly bring you the strength you need, and the peace only the Holy Spirit can bestow for these times.
    Doug Torrance/Rev Polly Marks-Torrance
    Ottawa

    ReplyDelete
  28. Praying for David’s healing and for continued strength for the family as you walk this road together. The Hazzard family has a high place in our hearts and we will be praying for you all (especially today) from coast to coast ❤️๐Ÿ™

    ReplyDelete
  29. Dear David and family, we are with you in prayers and love.
    We praise God for your faith and trust in the Lord.
    May His presence conforts and strengthens the whole family
    I look up to the mountains—does my help come from there?
    My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!
    He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber.
    Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. (Ps. 121)

    Gรฉrald Emery, Gatineau QC

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Lead well.

We’ve hit a steep part of the climb. We found out most of this news on Wednesday, April 24th. You're finding out now because nothing was conclusive and Dad wanted all the i's dotted and t's crossed before sharing anything. His cancer is stage 4, aggressive and, according to doctors, not curable. It's in both lungs and also in his spine. The doctors are doing what they can to give us as much time as possible. This is hard news. Yes. But I need to tell you about when we received the news, as his children, on Wednesday, April 24th. Everything I just shared with you was shared with us that night. Mom and Dad expressed great thankfulness for the kindness they had received at the hospital and they told us about the wonderful doctor and compassionate nurse. And then Dad, thorough his tears but with deep conviction, said: "You need to know that Christianity is true. Mom and I haven't given our lives to the cause of Christ on a whim. Jesus is alive. Everything

A note from Dad.

Hi Dear Friends!  I have enjoyed observing the Journey to Wholeness through the eyes and heart of our daughter, Jordan. We wanted to provide updates to family and friends from time to time so each could be accurately informed, and I appreciate Jordan volunteering to write a blog.   Besides, Jordan is my favourite writer! Please allow me to add a couple of comments.   First, it is somewhat surreal to realize that on April 15 I was in Rio de Janeiro on a missions assignment thinking I was getting over pneumonia, to receiving a preliminary diagnosis on April 17 of lung cancer. So, I have been personally processing the rapidity of this rather unexpected and unwelcome journey. In the complex meanderings of my thoughts and the myriad of my human emotions, I find myself anchored by a verse in ancient Jewish literature (written by another David, mind you) Psalm 31:15, “My times are in your (God’s) hands”. So, I believe, in spite of where this journey takes me, God will have

Poured out.

David Edward Hazzard November 7, 1953 - May 27, 2021 The below blog post was written in May of 2019. Dad's diagnosis at the time of writing it was "we will do what we can but it's not looking good." Our family looked to God for whatever His will would be—hoping for a miracle, but also preparing for Dad's death. We watched him lose a tremendous amount of weight as he suffered from acute pain; he was on a heavy pain relief regimen and needed 5 litres of oxygen 24 hours a day. He planned his funeral; we started palliative care. His family came to say their goodbyes. Many people may not have realized how critical his condition was at the beginning of the diagnosis. But as you look back and read the journey, you will see what God did. I wrote this post in the middle of all that I just described with a heart fully surrendered to God's plan for Dad, and peace despite the tears streaming down my cheeks. But I was not released to post it. God asked me to wait until t