Life & Death

Many a humble soul will be amazed to find that the seed it sowed in weakness, in the dust of daily life, has blossomed into immortal flowers under the eye of the Lord.  Harriet Beecher Stowe

The lesson for each believer is to humble himself, not to wait for the Lord to humble him.  Theodore Epp

Have you ever been in that place in life when you thought the end of your life could be coming to a close? I have and if you ever get that opportunity you will never look at life the same way again. 

When I was diagnosed with cancer, my chances of survival weren’t good but they were much better than many of the ladies I knew.  Ovarian cancer is one that is rarely caught early and often is fatal.  Not long after my treatments were over and I returned to work, I joined a cancer support group at the hospital where I had my surgery.  It was an eye opening experience.  I watched one woman after another die over a five year period.  During that time we each wrote our cancer story and it was published by the hospital.  Each story outlined the struggles of battling this terrible disease.  I watched mothers of young children die, grandmothers leave behind their grandchildren, and wives leave behind their spouses to carry on without them.  One of the things I learned is that dying of ovarian cancer is not an easy death.  Periodically I would go back to that book and read the stories of the women who fought this battle and eventually lost. 

If you ever want to feel what dying to self is, that describes it for me.  It no longer was important how much money I made, what kind of job I had or how many things I owned. I would say I wasn’t humble before cancer.  I wasn’t even close.  God blessed me in this cancer journey.  He gave me the opportunity to be reborn and the time to be a better person and to seek forgiveness for the mistakes I’ve made in life.  Some of the ladies in my support group didn’t have that opportunity. 

The bottom line is I have been blessed beyond measure. God had mercy on me and a love for me that I didn’t deserve. So if you ask me to pray for you I don’t take that lightly.  I do it immediately.  None of us knows when the end will come but we can be as prepared as we will ever be if we take the opportunity to do it now.  Don’t wait for the Lord to humble you.    

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I praise You for loving me enough to allow cancer to enter my life.  It was a difficult journey but I praise You for that trial in my life.  If forever changed my outlook on life and my view of You. I praise you for this trial because it forever changed me.             

Scripture:  Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:9-21