What Is Cancer?
Cancer is the general name for a group of more than
100 diseases. Although there are many kinds of cancer, all cancers start
because abnormal cells grow out of control. Untreated cancers can cause serious
illness and death.
Not that it hasn’t affected my life in the past, but
this week cancer has been a major pain in my butt. In the early part of the
week I spent time with my family in Illinois at an uncle’s funeral. He was
taken from his wife and son at a young age and that stinks. On Wednesday I
found out that another uncle, my father’s brother also has cancer, a rare
aggressive form that is currently in his neck, groin, and bones. Needless to say cancer makes me mad, and
anger is one of those feelings that God allows us to have but only as a lesson
to how we should respond to it in love. Yet another statement that makes me
mad, I have to respond to my anger at this terrible killer with love.
How is this accomplished? Well through offering
prayer support to my family in their times of need, to my uncle who starts
chemotherapy next week that he finds healing, strength, courage, and a deeper
faith. People often ask the question, if God is so loving why does he let good
people die from such horrible things? Well I don’t have an answer for that
other than our trials and the trials of others give us a change to shun God or
move closer to Him. To find peace in times of trouble is often difficult but
there is peace, but we must work for it. Through prayer, and faith, and showing
love we find a deeper connection with God and each other. Sadly nothing makes
us pray more, have more faith, or be more loving than when there is a need.
This can be seen in examples like my uncles having cancer, and on a bigger
scale when a community comes together after a child gets hurt or a major
disaster, or even on a date like 9/11 when the world stopped, a country fell to
her knees and prayed to a savior for peace, for understanding, and for love.
So even though I am really pissed off at cancer it has shown me
the importance family, spending time with them while they are here because each
life is so fragile. It has shown me love, how those in the family come together
to support each other and put aside differences because some things are more
important. Finally I am reminded of my favorite verses in Proverbs, 3:3-6; “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all
your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him, and he
will make your paths straight.” Basically cancer sucks and we don’t understand
it but if we lean on Daddy, He will guide us where we need to go, how we should
act, what we should do, and to who is in need.
