Part Two:
Cancer: The Furnace of Affliction
When I get my infusions at the oncologist’s office, I see other cancer patients dragging their I.V. poles up and down the hallway. They smile at me as they go by, seeing me sitting in a lounge chair while hooked up to my I.V.s.
The other day I came out of the restroom while dragging my pole behind me. A little, frail lady in a wig scurried to the door. We talked a little bit and she patted my arm. My heart melted.
I am finding the blessings in my war with cancer. Cancer warriors are given the unique blessing of compassion and love for each other. Each knows what the other is going through. Each knows the struggles, the fears, the fatigue, the nausea. Each recognizes the people in their lives who are blessings: the people who encourage them, who pray for them, who help them with their daily activities and take them to their appointments.
Suffering can help us to love like Jesus or it can cause us to become bitter. It’s our choice.
Cancer warriors must pray in the shadows of Gethsemane and meet the suffering as a part of life, recognizing that blessings are woven into the tapestry that drapes about them day and night.
Blessings are discovered in odd situations and places. It’s up to us whether we discard or embrace those blessings.
abundantlypardoned 