Cathy Blalock stood on Folly Beach, listening to the waves and watching the dark clouds roll in. “A storm is coming,” she thought. She reached for her phone and texted a friend who was going through a hard time.
“… My sweet friend, although the waves are crashing and foaming, the sand washing out from beneath your feet, the wind blowing, God is there and He will hold you up even though you can’t see or feel Him. You are deeply loved … .”
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She didn’t realize that the truth she texted her friend back in February 2024 would apply to her own life roughly nine months later in November 2024 when her cancer journey began.
Blalock, who’s been a member of First Baptist Charleston for 28 years, and is married to former South Carolina Baptist Convention President Marshall Blalock, overcame cancer with four words:
Do not be afraid.
It all began in November 2024 when Cathy got an MRI to check on the excruciating pain she had in her shoulder. The doctor looked at the results from the MRI and saw lesions in her bone and suspected cancer. The doctor called the Blalocks with the news. It was early December, and that’s when Cathy’s world stopped.
She cried for hours. But in the midst of her dismay, she looked up at the manger scene resting on the mantle of their fireplace. She saw Mary and Joseph, and the angels made of olive wood, and recalled the story of an angel telling Mary and Joseph at separate times:
Do not be afraid.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Mary Margaret Flook and originally published by The Baptist Courier.
