”Luke Vawser joined The Scribal Anointing online prophetic creative writing group in 2006. The group members and the VOC directors grew to love him, as he shared his struggle with cancer and his faith in God so openly and honestly with us. His writing clearly conveyed the love of God, and his poetry introduced us to a level of faith and belief in God that many seek to attain. This issue of Esdras’ Scroll is dedicated to Luke. Thank you, Father, for an opportunity to be a part of this young man’s life in you.”   – Voices of Christ

About Luke Vawser
Written by Caryn Allan

It is my hope [that this testimony] will encourage people by giving them a glimpse into the Life of Luke Vawser, a “Poetic Saint,” who was called home so young; and that it will inspire people to trust God no matter what the enemy may throw at us.

Luke was my fiancée and my best friend. He died of Duodenal cancer at age 30 in January of 2007. The doctor’s gave him 3 months to live, yet Luke lived 15 months from diagnosis with no chemotherapy or “traditional” treatments, much to the astonishment of the local medical institutions.

In the last year of his life, he grew much in his love and passion for the Lord. Poetry was one of the ways he expressed this. At first he kept quiet about his gift of writing, as really there are not too many men in Perth, Western Australia who pursued such a unique calling!

However, I encouraged him to “go with it,” and suggested the Scribal Anointing website for him to check out. From then on he was always sitting on his computer typing away (albeit slowly), and each day showing me his latest inspirations. His poetry was his heart.

Throughout his battle with cancer, he never once gave up. Even when I would crumble in a mess and doubt God, Luke never flinched. He believed God. He never questioned Him, never got angry at Him, and never doubted. He was a true warrior. Even in the face of ridicule from family, he never let go of his hope and faith in God.

Luke had been baptized when he was 21, and from that age his walk with the Lord really began. He was the sort of guy that everyone loved, yet he worked at places where he was often persecuted for his faith.

At the age of 6, Luke had been hit by a car while running across the road to catch a cricket ball his dad had hit. He was not meant to live, as the doctor’s said he had irreparable brain damage and would never walk or talk again. He was actually in a coma, and at the last minute the doctors eased the pressure on his brain by removing a section of skull. Although he had to have months of rehabilitation, he astounded everyone by talking and walking again.

He always had a trust that God would protect him due to the fact he had lived through this. Throughout his life, as a young teenager, he had escaped many other ‘catastrophes’ which he always saw as God’s hand. He knew God had his hand on his life and would not let go. Even when he had complications later on with his back due to the car having hit him in his side and throwing him to the bitumen, and had to have three back surgeries, he never really complained. He asked God to heal him, yet never questioned God’s will or ways.

During his battle with cancer, there were times he would be in a lot of pain. Luke’s way of dealing with it was to get into the shower (the heat helped him a lot) and put on his favorite worship CD. I would hear him singing loudly to the Lord and praying. Sometimes he would be so long I would have to check on him, but he would tell me all was alright and he had heard God talking to him! Then after that he would often be on the computer writing a poem of faith and courage of some sort!

There is not one Christian who knew Luke or even a non-believer who has not told me how much Luke’s courage and strength in the face of such an awful disease has touched them. People have told me of difficulties they might be facing and then said, “But I thought if Luke could get through cancer, I can get through this.”

To me Luke did get through cancer. Although we prayed every day for God to heal (and we had many divine moments where God’s presence was tangible) and for us to marry with him being well. I now recognize God’s love for Luke was such that he received his ‘ultimate’ healing. Leading up to his death, God did such a cleansing of his soul so as to remove the many wounds and hurts he had carried. He had struggled with some of these issues for years, especially forgiveness of family members. I know God could’ve healed him physically, but He had a greater plan.

I see that God had an eternal purpose in mind. That purpose was to prepare him for eternity, where God had a far greater call on his life. I know Luke would be ministering now to the Lord Most High in praise and prose! He loved to sing loudly to the Lord. “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord” as Paul said, and I know Luke’s heart and soul lived for truly praising the King with all he had.

On the night Luke died, I sat with him holding his hand, and singing along to some of his favorite worship songs. He hated hospital visits throughout his journey, yet for the last week he had to stay there. He was not conscious in the hours leading to his death, however at one stage he seemed to be “seeing” something, and made a gasp of what sounded like wonder and awe. I said, “Are you seeing angels my sweetheart?” at which his mouth turned up in the slightest smile. He was gone within the hour.

For me, having his poems has been a source of comfort and encouragement. Luke was a larger than life character, who said things “as they were,” and I am so glad he did. I hope his poems will be a blessing and encouragement to others. One thing he said to me before he died was - “But I feel like I have never done anything worthwhile!” I told him that his poems were amazing, and people would get to see them and be encouraged by them. So may all that read them be blessed!

In Christ’s love,
Caryn Allan