Let faith guide you and tomorrow will care for itself: Facing the fear of cancer
Cancer.
It is a scary word. I remember hearing my professor say that you should always have someone else in the room when you are going into the doctor's office. There are certain diagnoses that stop you cold. You don't hear another word after it is mentioned. Cancer is one of those words. Twenty years of working with Hospice of Southeastern Connecticut confirmed that for me.
You can imagine that when I went in for a CT scan with a mass in my abdomen that I was scared. I was dancing with the worst possible scenarios in the back of my mind. Everywhere I turned, the big "C" was being mentioned. There were signs all over the radiology center. My imagination was going wild and I was doing what I always tell others not to do. I often quote Matthew 6:34 which says, “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
In other words, don't get carried away with what might be. Deal with what you know. That's when I thought about George. He's always been my hero. He faced the future with confidence and courage.
I will never forget the morning he pulled me aside before church. He told me he had been diagnosed with Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma. In the ensuing years I watched George deal with his cancer in a way I never thought possible. He shared some tips that he learned from Dr. Bernie Siegel, the renowned cancer doctor and author of the book, Love, Medicine & Miracles.
George was in his forties at the time. I remember asking him how he managed to stay sane. He replied, "I live one day at a time. I focus on the important things and let them be my motivation for living."
Dr. Siegal had given him some tools to use in order to stay focused. One of those tools was his faith. Even in his darkest days, George told me that he knew God was in control.
Too often, we worry about things we can't change. I think that's why the Serenity Prayer is so powerful. It says, "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."
As I waited for the results of the CAT Scan, I kept thinking about the way George had dealt with his battle and a peace came over me. Thankfully my scan came back negative. I was relieved. I can't tell you how many times over the years I have thought about George, and others like him, who have inspired me with their courage and faith when faced with adversity. I've always said I want to be like him when my time of trouble comes. I want to focus on what's important and remember that God is in control.
As I was driving home, Rodney Adkins' song, "Watching You!" came on the radio. I laughed because it reinforced what I was thinking. People are watching us. They see how we face trials as Christians. They see the way our faith gives us comfort. That's a good thing. The last line of the song goes, "I wanna do everything you do, So I've been watching you."
So live boldly. Let faith guide you and trust God completely. In doing so, you may be someone's inspiration.God bless! See you in church. Cal
News & Notes for the Central Baptist FamilyJoin us at Worship at 10:30 a.m. this week. The sermon is titled, "God is the Original Promise Keeper" and is based on Genesis 21:1-7. Beth Calabro and Nancy Balentine are going to perform a piano duet as our special music. Hope to see you at church.
This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Facing the fear of cancer with faith: Tomorrow will care for itself
