Held in God’s Hand: Trevor and Cassie Long’s Story

The day Trevor and Cassie Long discovered that Trevor was diagnosed with cancer, tornadoes struck the state of Minnesota.

“The very first day we found out, there was this terrible storm,” Cassie remembers. “It’s not common to have tornadoes in Minnesota in December, and I remember feeling that the weather reflected how we felt in that moment with this cancer diagnosis. It felt like the Lord was gently shepherding us through, identifying with us in our pain and suffering.”

The medical storm hit in 2021 at the end of the Longs’ ministry sabbatical, right as Trevor was starting his new role as the Navigators Collegiate Upper Midwest regional director. The diagnosis — stage IV colon cancer — was shocking and devastating. 

“It was surreal,” Cassie explains. “How could this be happening? We were faced with, how do we navigate having cancer, having a family, and then also re-engaging in ministry — all at the same time?”

Peace and comfort in God’s Word

The next couple of years were an uphill battle for Trevor, Cassie, and their four kids: 10 surgeries, over 20 rounds of chemotherapy, and months of recovery. However, in the midst of fear and despair, they found comfort in God’s Word and provision. 

For Cassie, peace was found in Psalm 34:4 (NIV): “I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.”

“Fear is something I’ve struggled with a lot in my life, and when we were first visiting doctors and specialists, I felt totally paralyzed by fear,” Cassie remembers. “The Lord reminded me of that Scripture, and as I was going through worst-case scenarios in my mind, He stopped me. The Holy Spirit’s voice is gentle, and He said, ‘I don’t want you to keep visualizing worst-case scenarios, because you can’t foresee my grace.’”

Cassie asked for the Lord’s help, and from that point on, the Lord delivered her from her fear, even in the midst of the darkest valleys.

As Trevor faced the daunting journey ahead, he had the tendency to lean towards despair. Like Cassie, the Lord led him to a verse, Romans 15:13 (NIV): “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Trevor knew that though he couldn’t expect healing, he could put his hope in God. Meditating on that verse, Trevor began to feel a joy that transcended his circumstances.

“It felt like God, God the Father, had us in His hand,” Trevor says. “And He was saying, ‘Sit, wait and stay. You want to move forward, but just stay and be.’ And that was so powerful.”

The multiplication of hope

As the Longs faced trial after trial, they turned to the Lord for peace in His plan over their own, knowing that He could use their situation — no matter how difficult — for good. However, they knew they had a choice: They could keep their cancer journey private, or they could open up and share their highs and lows with their community.

Knowing that God put this situation in their hands to steward well, they wrote weekly blogs to share regular updates about Trevor’s health and how God was moving in their lives. The prayer and support that came in was incredible, and the Longs were blown away by the conversations their blog started with Christians, non-Christians, and people that hadn’t been in their lives for decades.

“It felt like we were the man that was being lowered through the roof, being brought before Jesus,” Cassie says. “Everyone in our life was just continually bringing us before Jesus, and we experienced incredible care from the body of Christ. They would pray for us and we would receive a sense of strength, a clarity about decisions — it was beautiful.”

That sense of support followed Cassie and Trevor to the other side of their journey. By God’s grace, Trevor has now been in remission for over a year. As the Longs reflect back on the past few difficult years, they’ve seen how God not only worked a miracle in their lives, but that impact rippled out to their community as well.

“Going from stage IV to being healthy was inspiring to people, but I think it was also inspiring for them to see us go through it and the peace and confidence we had in the Lord,” Trevor says. “I can say that as a testimony to God because it wasn’t there naturally; it’s something the Lord did through us.”

Cassie continues, explaining, “It turned people in our lives into people that can trust the Lord with hard things themselves. Watching us go through this, some unbelieving family members’ hearts have seemed softened towards us and towards the Lord in a different way, and we are praying for them to make that full step across into Jesus’ arms.”

As the Longs continue their ministry with The Navigators — who they’ve now served with for more than 15 years — they will continue to lean on Christ as their rock. They are confident in the One they depend on, trusting that no matter what circumstances they may face in the future, they will be okay.

“The promise that God’s given me is this: His goodness, His presence with me,” Trevor shares. “Now I’ve experienced it, that He will give me what I need in those moments. And I don’t feel afraid going forward, if this would ever come back. God has shown us that He’s real, that He’s involved in our lives, and that He’ll take care of us.”

Discipleship Tip:

Are there people in your life who are facing a storm like the one Trevor and Cassie experienced? Consider how God may be calling and equipping you to bring them before Jesus, like the friends in the gospel story Cassie mentioned. Invite the Holy Spirit to empower you to care well for those around you, walking alongside them through life’s challenges and showing them the love of Christ.