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Trusting the unseen: Ramadan and healing

The chemo unit wasn’t exactly where I imagined I’d spend the first day of Ramadan.

But there I was, back in my chemo chair for my fifth infusion of Zoledronic acid (Zometa), watching the IV drip do its quiet work… while my family and friends were beginning their fast.

If you’re not Muslim, Ramadan is about so much more than just fasting from dawn to sunset. And yes, fasting is a big part of it. But it’s also about discipline. Patience. Gratitude. It’s about soft resets and quiet reconnections. It’s about intention.

And there’s something really special about day one.

There’s this collective energy, knowing millions of us are waking up before sunrise, making the same intention, stepping into the month together. It feels grounding. Like you’re part of something bigger than yourself.

So I won’t pretend I wasn’t gutted to miss it. Instead of fasting today, I was hooked up to an IV.

The beautiful thing about our faith is that when you’re unwell, you’re not just allowed to prioritize your health, you’re encouraged to. There’s no gold star for pushing through when your body needs care. There’s no spiritual bonus for neglecting treatment. Still, emotions don’t always follow theology. I felt the ache of missing that shared beginning.

But somewhere between the beeping machines and the steady drip of medication, something shifted.

Ramadan and cancer treatment speak the same language of surrender and hope.

  • Both ask you to trust what you cannot see.
  • Both ask you to believe that struggle has purpose.
  • Both require patience with a process unfolding internally.

Ramadan teaches us that what we give up today can transform us tomorrow. Treatment asks for that same trust, that what’s entering my body now is working quietly toward my healing. Neither gives instant results. Both demand faith in the unseen.

My worship just looked different today. It looked like showing up to my appointment. It looked like whispering prayers in an infusion chair. It looked like surrendering control and trusting that God is present in sterile rooms too.

I’m not fasting today. God willing, I’ll begin tomorrow. But today, I found God in my infusion chair.

Ramadan Mubarak 🤍 Here’s to the blessings we can’t yet see.

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