Ingrid Davila was in the middle of a painful ending of a relationship with her long-term boyfriend when her boss also told her that her job in insurance claims would soon be eliminated.

“She said it could be a month or it could be a year, she didn’t know,” says Ingrid. “But she wanted to give me as much notice as she could.” Bracing herself to be unemployed, Ingrid took advantage of the time she had left on the job to get a full medical check up under her employer’s health insurance.

And that’s when another bomb dropped: Ingrid found out she had thyroid cancer.

Ingrid grew up in Colombia, but moved to the States when she was 27. She had been raised in the Catholic Church there, but in America, she felt far from God.

“There were times that I wanted to talk to Him or to a priest, but I felt guilty for sins I was committing. I never thought God hated me, but I thought I didn’t deserve His love,” says Ingrid. “I blocked Him out of my mind, so I wouldn’t feel that way anymore. I didn’t go to church, or even watch it on TV anymore.”

The challenges were difficult. Ingrid felt alone after the end of her relationship. Her family lived far away, and she wasn’t connected to many friends. She had surgery and began exhausting treatments for her cancer. But she had peace and hope, even though she felt sure that God was not with her.

But He was. “First, a co-worker invited me to church on Mother’s Day. Even though I knew nobody knew me, I felt like people were going to judge me. But I connected with God that day for the first time in a long time. I felt great, and I was on the way back to Him,” she says.

Then one day, an old friend called her, telling Ingrid about her own problems and depression. During that conversation, Ingrid had a sudden realization.

“This friend had everything I wanted — a husband, children, friends, a job — but she was still unhappy,” she says. “But here I was, with everything going wrong, and I somehow had hope. I realized in that moment that God had been with me the whole time. He loved me. Otherwise, how could I have stayed strong through it all? I was not alone.”

Ingrid eyes were opened to just how much God had been there for her. Friends — even new acquaintances — had offered her free lodging when she could not afford it. Finances came through in surprising ways. Her job held on longer than she expected, lasting almost through the end of her treatments. Even the early discovery of her cancer had been due to the impending loss of her job.

“Cancer has made me realize that I have to live in the present, today, all the time,” Ingrid says. “I can’t waste one minute being unhappy, because I don’t know what tomorrow may bring. I choose joy now, because later I may not feel good enough to be happy.”

Ingrid’s cancer is almost completely gone, God has provided her with a new job and new community, and she has also found a church home at Grace. “I like Grace because often I didn’t understand many things at other churches,” Ingrid says. “Pastor Mike uses real words and real examples that help me understand God’s word. I really feel like I’m receiving something every time I come.”

Today, Ingrid has an appreciation of life, and a joy in Christ that nothing can take away.

“Don’t be like me. Don’t wait to get sick before you realize that God is with you, and that life is beautiful.”