The Clarity of Purpose the “C” Word Can Give
We have all been touched by it. We have family, friends, or co-workers that have been affected by it. It can be minor to major, but it does influence and change our minds once we hear we might have it. Yes, I’m talking about cancer. We often pray for friends that have been suffering through it or try to provide comfort and help when needed. However, our own world can come to a halt once we hear the words about ourselves and the chance that we might actually have it.
A couple of months ago I was being treated for a kidney stone. They say having one for a guy is the equivalent pain women feel in having a baby. If that is so, ladies don’t get enough credit for the pain they endure. After winding up in the emergency room for a second straight night the doctor ordered a CT scan with dye to find out the size of the stone. After about an hour, the doctor returned to the room and said they couldn’t find a stone. However, he saw a mass on one of the kidneys that needed immediate attention. Yes, he threw out the “C” word. I was a little foggy given the amount of drugs they had injected in me for pain, but I remember the doctor saying that renal cancer is the most curable of them all and something about being able to live with just one kidney. Once the medications had worn off I reflected on what I just heard. I would love to tell you that I had a strong spiritual answer for it or I was just content with whatever might happen next. Unfortunately, I reflected none of that. My first thought was for my family and business and what I was responsible for and how this might affect them. I am a fixer by nature, so naturally, I started to search for answers. By the way, NEVER search on google for a medical problem and treatments. I don’t think I ever saw more negative feedback than on that search engine. If you research in-grown toe nail, the chance of survival is fifty percent. Seriously, that didn’t help much. I spent a lot of time in prayer. I didn’t lament the fact that I always took care of my body, ate right, worked out, etc. My prayer wasn’t so much that I would be healed but that God would prepare me for whatever might come next. Ultimately, I had surgery to remove the mass and the doctor’s prognosis was good.
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[quote bar=”true” align=”center”]It is amazing the clarity that comes with the idea that a disease might change your life…Yet, Job’s response was “should we only praise Him when things are good?”[/quote]
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It is amazing the clarity that comes with the idea that a disease might change your life. You think about plans you make, goals you have set, etc. Most of that goes out the window when you think your health might change all of it. One thing that stood out to me though was that life is short. It can sound like a cliché, but the reality for all of us is what Proverbs says “that this life is but a vapor.” In my daily Bible reading I am in the book of Job. Job lost his children, his wealth, and, finally, his health. I can’t imagine losing one child, much less multiple ones. Yet, Job’s response was “should we only praise Him when things are good?”
Our life purpose should line up with the idea that we don’t have much time on earth and the time we have should count. Psalm 139:16 says, ”All the days ordained for me are written in Your book before one of them came to be.” God is sovereign and knows all. He is always in control of everything. We may never understand the purposes or His plans, but we can trust in His goodness and will. More than anything, I want to make my life count. I want to be a part of His plan and changing lives. I do realize that certain life events can help us take a look inside of ourselves and give us a chance to redirect our purposes for Him. I rest in the idea that He loves me and knows what is ahead, even if I don’t. My prayer is that the Lord would give me faith to trust Him, strength to endure, and a witness that would be a blessing to others.
S. Montgomery