Christian country singer Joey Martin Feek has stopped seeking treatment for her cervical cancer and surrendered her fate to God, but never once did she stop loving and expressing her faith in God.
Joey, 40, who is part of the husband and wife singing duo Joey + Rory, underwent a radical hysterectomy back in 2014 after her doctor discovered that she had cervical cancer during a routine exam in May.
The cancer returned one year later. Even though the singer underwent more surgeries and aggressive treatment, the cancer continued to grow.
Just this October, the family decided to stop seeking cancer treatment. Joey has been given only six to nine months to live, maybe even shorter. Despite the heartbreaking condition of her health, Joey has now made peace with her stage 4 cancer.
"I wasn't mad at Him, I wasn't upset," Joey told The Tennessean about her feelings towards God and cancer.
"I was just greatly disappointed. I really thought we had it. I thought, 'I'm going to be that exception. I'm going to be that statistic that stands out and says, 'She fought it.' We did the most extreme surgery we can do in the gynaecologic world, and she did well.' But for whatever reason, it wasn't enough, and God had different plans. I was disappointed. I was exhausted."
Joey admitted that she feels like a failure because of her cancer. "I thought I did everything," she tearfully said. "But God decided for me that my job of singing for people down here is my legacy, and He needs me singing up there. That's how I look at it."
She plans to breathe her last breath in the same house where she was born and raised with her family by her side. "But I don't fear anything because I'm so close to God, and we've talked about it so many times. I know He's close. And I know He loves me. I'm really at peace. I still believe there's healing in prayer," she said.
Her husband Rory kept fans updated about her health status through his blog. On his Nov. 12 entry he revealed why he has dedicated a lot of time in writing down their family's experiences and struggles.
"I want my wife to be remembered. By me. By others who love her even though they've never met her. I guess that's why I write this blog. I want her sweet voice and her love to live on. And not just outlive her...but to somehow outlive me, and our girls, and even their children," he writes. "And someday when your moment comes with someone you love...maybe, just maybe, you will remember Joey and her words and voice and life will comfort you...and her song will live on."
