Achieving An Eternal Glory 

By Kiera Vae'ena, Seattle, Washington, USA 

“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” 
~ 2 Corinthians 4:17

I sat on a curb in Los Angeles, cell phone to my ear, listening to my primary care physician tell me that the biopsy on my right lymph node came back positive for adeno carcinoma – breast cancer. At the age of 42, I wasn’t prepared for this news. I had just arrived in California from Honolulu, Hawaii, where I had been serving in the full-time ministry for 16 years. When I got the call, I was in the pre-service meeting for a Pacific Southwest ministry leader’s retreat where I had been asked to lead songs for the women’s portion which was set to start in an hour. 

Eight years and seven months later, I am still here on Earth, surrendered to living one day at a time, grateful he answered my prayers, and transformed to do his will for my life, a better daughter, sister, wife, mother and servant focused on the hope of participating in his Eternal Glory. 

Surrendered to Living One Day at a Time

Psalm 119: 71-75 “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.”

Wait, affliction is good for me? 

We live in a culture where happiness, success and perfection are expected, where suffering, failure and weakness are incorrectly thought to be avoidable.

I first struggled with these flawed expectations in my second year in college, when my younger sister Corrie had a massive stroke at 18 years old. Although it wasn’t me that was afflicted, her need to relearn to talk, walk, and learn to live life with only the use of her right side prompted our whole family to process this new normal in light of our newfound faith. 

At first my 19 year-old self prayed prideful things like, “God, why did it have to be her”, “I wish it would have been me instead of her.” I didn’t know what I was saying. Then, I questioned God’s goodness, wavering in my faith and flirting with returning to the ways of the world. God graciously and patiently taught and matured me through my struggles. I learned just how much I needed God’s word as my spiritual food and I began to want what Paul told the Philippian disciples he wanted: “I want to know Christ, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death and so somehow to attain to the resurrection of the dead.” Philippians 3:10

The part about wanting to know Christ’s resurrection POWER was a no brainer. It was the second part… knowing the fellowship of sharing in Christ’s sufferings that made me rethink everything. I’m no saint, I don’t want to suffer. But realizing that a relationship with God means experiencing both suffering and resurrection, helped me make sense of Corrie’s affliction then. Including Paul’s words in my prayers over the last 30+ years have prepared my heart to deal with disappointments, loss and health challenges I would face years later. Remembering that following Jesus includes enduring affliction gives me the strength to surrender in the hard times, when I can’t see the way out or what the plan is. It helps me to die to the idolatry of health, wealth and control by drawing near to the God whom I can trust with my future, because he laid down his life for me.

My sister Corrie and I wearing my red wig.

Surrendering to living one day at a time by faith is not a solitary endeavor. For me, it is something I strive to do in community, because Jesus teaches me to. Truth be told, I can’t surrender when it’s just me. I get caught up in the whirlwind of my emotions. I contend with fear, worry, confusion, anger, defensiveness and at times, despair. However, when I share my burdens with my sisters and brothers, surrendering my heart to discipleship of the Word through one another relationships, I experience grace, freedom and companionship. It reminds me of Jesus’ promise in Matthew 28 to be with me always, to the very end of the age.

Grateful… For Prayer and More

“And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” John 14:13-14

Shortly after receiving the news of my diagnosis, I shared with all who were in attendance at the ministry leaders’ retreat what I had just learned, asking for prayers for God’s will to be done. I am someone who has experienced the value of vulnerability, so I followed through with my commitment to lead songs in the women’s session, despite singing with tears streaming down my face, not knowing exactly what lay before me. I believed that God had determined the exact time that I received this news so that I could borrow the faith of sisters and brothers from other churches present at the retreat. After the women’s session, it was really special that I could gratefully bow with two of the elders who anointed me with oil as they prayed for my healing. That first night, I offered up more tearful and desperate prayer with my husband and two other couples in our hotel room, begging God for his will to be done, but also asking God to allow me to see my two boys (then ages 12 and 9) graduate from high school, and even see them get married and have children.

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Through my cancer journey and beyond, I have worked on being grateful in all circumstances:

• Grateful for God’s timing of my diagnosis.
• Grateful for the support I received during a time of confusion and fear.
• Grateful that I could ask people to help me, to be with me during chemo infusions.

Support at my first chemo treatment, March 30, 2016.

• Grateful for both solicited and unsolicited advice (albeit well-meaning).
• Grateful to learn to let go of lies from Satan that I had subconsciously believed about my value and worth before God.
• Grateful for the Holy Spirit who gives me strength I didn’t know I had.
• Grateful to fellowship with so many disciples at the REACH Discipleship summit in St. Louis Missouri in between chemo treatments!

Receiving encouragement at REACH from fellow Breast Cancer survivor and friend Sarah Peickert

• Grateful for encouragement from other faithful breast cancer survivor disciples who shared stories full of laughter and pain.
• Grateful for ALL the prayers—my personal prayers alone, my prayers with others, and others’ prayers for me. 

This past summer, I watched my youngest son graduate from high school. I am filled with gratitude for God for granting me life the last eight plus years.

The Vae’ena Family in 2016 

The Vae’ena Family in 2024

Transformed to Do His Will

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2

As we follow Christ, sometimes it’s hard to know what God’s will is. After going through my treatment in 2016, fear still assailed my mind. I often asked God, “Is it your will for me to die young?” and more recently, “Now that you’ve answered my prayer to see my kids graduate from high school, will you take me to be with you now?” I have also prayed the words of Jeremiah 17:14 countless times in the last eight years “Heal me, LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved for you are the one I praise.” These have been hard prayers. The world tells us to cling to our lives here on earth. But I have had to beg God to trust his will, to help me not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of my mind and trust in his good pleasing and perfect will—whatever it brings! I trust that God is able to heal me. But even if he doesn’t, I will still praise him, because he is worthy of my praise. 

As we recognize the destructive effects of breast cancer during the month of October, let’s also remember how God can work through our affliction so we can learn to surrender to living one day at a time, being grateful in all circumstances and be transformed to do his will. 

Kiera Vae’ena currently serves as Senior Women’s Ministry Leader alongside Tui, her husband of almost 24 years at the Seattle Church of Christ, City Region. Kiera became a disciple within three months of the rest of her family at the age of 16. She graduated from UCLA and University of Hawaii, William S. Richardson School of Law before responding to God’s call to serve full time in the ministry in May of 2000. Kiera has also worked as an attorney, substitute middle school teacher and Parent Community Networking Coordinator for a public middle school. She has two sons, Ty (20) and Kian (18).