Sharing

Cards

Sending a homemade or bought card can encourage people with cancer that God loves them and is with them in their trial. Both print and digital cards sent before or after surgeries, treatments, and medical tests can provide hope. Letting people know that you are praying for them can give them comfort and help them to persevere.

Prayer

Praying with and for people in their cancer trial can provide spiritual and emotional comfort. We can ask God to let them sense His presence (Isaiah 41:10), peace (John 14:27), comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-4), and strength (Isaiah 40:31) regardless of the outcome. Praying for God’s will to be done (Matthew 6:9-10) instead of insisting on our own desired outcome is important. We can also pray Bible verses over people with cancer. Please see the Seeking tab for Bible verse ideas. As we lift up people and their families in prayer, God is glorified and people can receive His comfort. 

Flowers

Sending beautiful flowers to a person in a hospital recovering from a cancer surgery can provide encouragement. The cheerful colors can provide motivation to persevere through intense pain and let them know they are not alone. Bringing flowers to a person’s home can also brighten the atmosphere to provide hope in the midst of despair. 

Meals

Providing meals, groceries, snacks, or meal gift cards can help the family save time, money, and energy as they focus on caring for their loved one after a surgery. Since cooking smells can cause nausea for people undergoing chemotherapy, bringing in already prepared meals can be helpful for the family. Using a meal planning service can be beneficial for scheduling meal deliveries between many people. It is also important to consider the dietary, safety, and food preferences when delivering food.

Transportation

Providing transportation to medical appointments and treatments can be very beneficial to provide companionship, prayer, and support. Since treatments can cause numerous side effects, having a reliable ride is necessary and can help support the family who has to spend extra time transporting their loved one. Playing encouraging Christian music in the car can also help to ease anxiety. 

Games

Spending time playing games with people before their next cancer treatment can provide encouragement and ease anxiety. Games can provide much needed fellowship and community in an isolated season of life. However, due to health needs, creativity may be needed to provide games in a virtual format such as playing trivia through a screen sharing platform. 

Coloring

Coloring can be relaxing for all ages especially when focusing on God’s Word and His care for us. Sending people coloring pages or creating their own drawings of familiar Bible passages such as Daniel in the Lion’s Den can help people focus on God’s care for them instead of on their worries. Another option is creating Bible verses in a calligraphy format to place in a familiar location as a reminder of God’s constant presence. 

Music

Uplifting and encouraging Christian music can help focus our attention on God’s love for us even in the midst of our suffering. Listening to music in the car, at home, or even during treatments can help us sense God’s comfort and concern for us.

Texts and Calls

Encouraging texts reminding people that they are being prayed for can be a great source of comfort before treatments and medical tests. Talking in person, on the phone, or through video chat can help people not feel alone in their struggles. Asking if people have any specific prayers requests at the end of the conversation and following up with prayer can provide much needed support. 

Care Packages

Care packages can provide a ray of hope in a time of discouragement and suffering. Sending people items that meet their physical needs, emotional needs, and spiritual needs along with personalizing the items to match their favorite color or preferences can bring comfort. See below for some ideas:

Physical: Assorted teas, slippers, blankets, cloth hats

Emotional: Journal, coloring pages/colored pencils, music, coffee/tea mug with an encouraging message, pillow with an uplifting message on the pillow case

Spiritual: Bible verse cards to take to appointments, devotional

Walking

Walking with people who have cancer can provide encouragement and motivation to keep persevering in their cancer journeys. Letting the person with cancer set the pace and duration of the walk is important to help avoid excess fatigue. Enjoying the beauty of God’s creation can help people focus on God’s greatness instead of on their circumstances. 

Technology

Technology can be a great way to include people with cancer in church, Bible study, activities, and gatherings. Since people with cancer cannot always participate in-person due to a lower immune system or fatigue, technology can be used to help provide fellowship. For example, using a screen sharing system can allow someone to still participate in Bible study discussion, game nights, and fellowship gatherings.