Testimony by Desiree Bentel
This is my favourite hymn, which helped me through my experience of breast cancer and chemotherapy, losing my hair and the health of everything else I had, and then watching it all come back to life, moment by moment…
Hymn by Frances Ridley Havergal:
Take my life and let it be; consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
let them flow in endless praise,
Take my hands and let them move,
at the impulse of thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for thee.
Take my voice and let me sing
always, only, for my King.
Take my lips and let them be filled
with messages from thee.
Take my silver and my gold;
not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use every power
as thou shalt choose.
Take my will and make it thine;
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is thine own;
it shall be thy royal throne.
Take my love; my Lord,
I pour at thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for thee.
Reaching my destiny
I confess that I am not near the place I want to be in this hymn, but if I keep singing in my heart, I may reach my destiny. My daughter told me to write about my cancer experiences, but I believe that one should not focus on illness if one would like to heal. Sure, it helps others to relate if it is spoken about, but even then, we want to “find the rainbows” in the rain.
Peace in the process
So let me tell you about the marvellous person who, I believe, prayed for me before wheeling me through to surgery. When he arrived, he greeted me, held the foot of the bed, paused, and closed his eyes for a moment, which gave me a feeling of reassurance that everything was going to be fine. He then wheeled the bed in a solace of silence.
The great nurses also had a sense of peace, because as I watched them at work while waiting outside the surgery room, I imagined they were God’s very own angels pottering about with such swiftness.
I remember ordering plain yogurt with honey when I came out of surgery, and thoroughly enjoying a large plate. I spent much time in my ward, chatting away to my daughter, rejoicing in the time we never otherwise have.
Care, kindness, and healing
The surgeon who did a superb job of the mastectomy managed to take all the cancer out. He diagnosed me as a phase 3 patient. When I put my hand out to shake his after the procedure, and after he had explained how to take care of myself for a few weeks, he told me that a person such as myself “gets a hug” instead.
Spotted in time
I must mention the good “spotting in time” by my general practitioner. The excitement each year when I have the “all clear”, when my GP takes blood tests and mammograms. I was meant to have six treatments of chemotherapy; I stopped after three and placed myself in God’s hands ever since. That was about ten years ago.
Strength for everyday life
Now, there are things I can’t do and things I can, but the fabulous thing about that is that, when I do grocery shopping, I get to know how helpful the workers are as they lift my parcels, packing them into my trolley and my car. When I get home, I unpack the articles separately, which gives me exercise. It helps me to be kind to myself. I always remember what Paul said about God being sufficient in our weakness and that we can do all things through Christ, who strengthens us.
A prayer to close
I would like to end with something I believe is linked to everything we do in life, and that would be a prayer. Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for sending me Your people for my benefit. Thank You for Your healing and guidance every day. Thank You for loving each one of us and for offering “a transforming friendship”. Thank You that we all “have a story to tell”, and that this was one of mine. May we always see the beauty in our amazing lives. Please continue to bless us all. Amen.
This article is featured in the May 2026 issue of JOY! Magazine. Read a digital version of this magazine here: joygifts.co.za
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Date published: 03/05/2026
Feature images sourced from source
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