Podcast Summary

Episode Overview

Podcast: GPS: God. People. Stories.
Title: Turning Suffering into Strength: Andrea's Story
Host: Jim Kirkland (with segments from Phil Fleischman and Billy Graham)
Date: October 15, 2025

This episode features Andrea Herzer, who shares her journey of enduring devastating chronic illnesses and cancer, and how she found hope, renewal, and strength through her Christian faith. Andrea reflects on her upbringing, battles with pain and health crises, and how suffering ultimately refined her character and deepened her relationship with Christ. The episode is part of the “Great Physician” series, highlighting both the need for and the source of spiritual and physical healing.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Andrea’s Background and Early Faith Experience

• [00:50-03:07] Andrea was raised in an affluent but emotionally turbulent environment due to her parents’ separation and eventual divorce.
  • “But the grace and kindness and mercy of Christ were not really modeled in my home. Bible verses were cherry picked and used as discipline or weapons…” [02:32, Andrea Herzer]
  • Found comfort and inspiration through faith-filled women like Mrs. Wu, who ran a neighborhood Bible club.

2. Childhood Trauma & Shifting Faith

• [03:47-05:20] Andrea shares about experiencing physical abuse misattributed to religious discipline and how it contributed to her faith crisis.
  • “I did not believe that Jesus was even real. I thought he was like the Easter bunny.” [05:20, Andrea Herzer]
• Moving between homes and a few years in boarding school; complicated familial relationships later transformed through forgiveness.

3. Faith Reignited and Life Transformation

• [06:19-07:02] Faith deepened in college after encountering apologetics and biblical evidence.
  • “I finally submitted and surrendered my will to the Lord. And I prayed to receive him as my Savior. And my life was radically transformed in that moment.” [06:53, Andrea Herzer]

4. Health Crises and Suffering

• [07:22-14:05] After thriving as a mother and active volunteer, Andrea’s life is upended by chronic illnesses:
  • Diagnosed with fibromyalgia and interstitial cystitis.
  • Later develops complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) after a hand injury—a profoundly painful and disabling condition.
    • “I used to tell my doctors it felt like someone took a grater to my skin and then just poured acid over it.” [11:01, Andrea Herzer]
  • Eight years largely homebound, needing mobility aids.
• Eventually discovers she has two forms of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
  • "When the biopsy came back, we learned that I had two types of non Hodgkin's lymphoma ... my doctors consider it incurable in my case." [13:15, Andrea Herzer]

5. Turning to Faith during Illness

• [14:12-16:52] Finding strength in Jesus during her lowest moments.
  • “We have Jesus. We have Jesus.” [14:41, Andrea Herzer, reassuring her husband during diagnosis]
  • Repeatedly counters fear and despair by affirming Christ’s presence: “I began to replace that thought with I have Jesus, because Jesus is the name above every other names, even cancer.” [14:57, Andrea Herzer]
• Draws hope from scripture, notably 2 Corinthians 1:8-9, about relying not on herself but on God.
  • “When I'm reached and stretched beyond my ability to endure, I remember that these things help me not rely on myself, but on God.” [16:41, Andrea Herzer]

6. The Power of Prayer and Community

• [17:04-18:41] Emphasizes the importance of prayer.
  • “People say, well, I wish there was something I can do for you. All I can do is pray ... that is absolutely the most powerful thing that they can possibly do.” [17:21, Andrea Herzer]
  • God sometimes answers not by healing but by “miraculously sustaining us in our afflictions”. [18:17, Andrea Herzer]

7. Writing and Sharing Hope

• [18:41-20:28] Andrea’s devotional, Incurable Faith: 120 Devotions of Lasting Hope for Lingering Health Issues, springs from years of journaling and supporting fellow sufferers.
  • “My prayer has always been…that the Lord would impart exactly what each person needs through the scriptures and devotions and prayers and worship songs and incurable faith.” [19:38, Andrea Herzer]

8. Life Today: Living with Illness and Ongoing Trust

• [20:28-22:41] Lymphoma is in remission; still deals with CRPS and chronic pain.
  • “What I've come to realize, even though medical treatments are, of course necessary and good ... what I need the most is the eternal and abundant life that Jesus gives me.” [21:54, Andrea Herzer]

9. Key Learnings on Suffering and God’s Love

• [22:41-24:40] Suffering is not a sign of God’s disfavor.
  • “Our health issues are not a punishment for sin because Jesus took the complete punishment for all of our sins.” [22:50, Andrea Herzer]
  • Admits she once believed faithfulness would shield her from trials, but now knows suffering can refine faith and draw one closer to Christ.
  • “Sometimes suffering is exactly what he uses to refine our faith. And the refining of our faith makes us more Christlike.” [23:55, Andrea Herzer]

10. Memorable Closing: Wouldn’t Trade the Journey

• [27:49-28:56] When asked if she’d choose an easier path, Andrea says:
  • “I would go through all of these things all over again if it meant having what I have now and being able to offer others the abundance of Christ and the feast that he's given me.” [27:49, Andrea Herzer]
  • Final encouragement: “The Lord is with you and he's not going to abandon you during your challenges.” [28:40, Andrea Herzer]

Notable Quotes

• “When you really begin to embrace that the Lord loves you and he can work good in your life, even amid the most devastating challenges, it changes your faith.”
  — Andrea Herzer [22:56]
• “Every time I started to think I have cancer and it would just take my breath away... I began to replace that thought with I have Jesus, because Jesus is the name above every other names, even cancer.”
  — Andrea Herzer [14:57]
• “You never know what God is going to bring down the road. You never know what level of restoration you may have. So I don't want people to lose hope.”
  — Andrea Herzer [11:36]
• "The moment you put your trust in Christ, the cure has already begun."
  — Billy Graham [27:05]

Key Timestamps

• [00:50-03:07] Andrea’s childhood and spiritual influences
• [05:20] Andrea’s loss of faith and skepticism
• [06:53] Faith reignited through Christian education
• [07:55-14:05] Onset and progression of debilitating illnesses
• [11:01] Describing the agony of CRPS
• [13:15] Lymphoma diagnoses and treatment journey
• [14:41-14:57] Turning to Christ during health crises
• [16:41] The importance of relying on God during suffering
• [17:21] The power and value of prayer
• [19:38] Her devotional’s impact on others
• [21:54] Pursuing Christ above physical healing
• [22:50-23:55] Suffering, sin, and the purposes of God
• [27:49] Would she change her life journey?
• [28:40] Final encouragement: God’s abiding presence

Conclusion

Andrea Herzer’s story is a testament to finding hope, peace, and enduring faith amid unimaginable suffering. She challenges misconceptions about suffering’s role in the Christian walk and testifies to how God offers comfort, community, and purpose even when physical healing does not come. Andrea’s journey prompts listeners to view hardship through the lens of eternal hope, urging that steadfast trust in Christ turns suffering into a source of deeper strength and sustenance for both self and others.