Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto  your own understanding. In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight

PROVERBS 3:5-6

PRAY FIRST

It was a Tuesday evening, my wife and I were driving home from one of our granddaughters’ basketball games when my phone rang. It was the proverbial call you never want to get. I’d had my annual physical a few days before, and there were some results from the blood work my doctor did not like. He was calling me with the results of additional testing we’d had done.

I had pancreatic cancer.

No cancer diagnosis is good, but pancreatic cancer is the big kahuna of the cancer family. Raw fear immediately takes over and you go through all the “why me” emotions, question the results, wonder how God could let this happen, list all the “Jesus things” you’ve done throughout your life, and ask God to double-check that the right person had the Big C land at their doorstep, etc., etc.

My wife and I held hands and prayed for understanding, the capacity to use this for God’s will and absolute healing. I personally also prayed for forgiveness. Forgiveness for not praying first. For not having a strong enough faith to immediately trust God. For automatically thinking about me first.

And for not seeing the main thing that the Holy Spirit was working on me to understand—that no matter how difficult this was to hear, God was in absolute control.

In life, we all get hit with unexpected things. It’s easy—so very easy— to fall into the “why me” syndrome. The key for me, and I think most of us, is to step back and do our best to take an eternal perspective on whatever curveball comes our way.

It certainly doesn’t make the fear or pain of the moment any less real, but it does provide a path forward to be able to find God’s plan in any and everything we may encounter.

For us, along with our family and our friends, we prayed for healing. Absolute and immediate removal of the cancer. I underwent an intrusive surgery a few weeks later, and glory to God, they were able to remove the tumor and all associated cancerous cells with no additional treatment required.

An answered prayer in the highest and loudest form possible.

Yes, we’ll go back to the doctor every few months for tests and monitoring, but in this particular chapter of my life’s journey, I’m a walking testimony to the power of answered prayer. Praise be to God. The second most important thing I could say to you is to pull a full stop in your life for just 10 minutes and take time to fully understand that none of us are promised tomorrow. For me, it could be the return of cancer. For you, it could be a car accident, a heart attack, or who knows what event could alter your life in a truly unexpected way.

God puts opportunities in front of us every day we’re alive to advance His Kingdom. It could be how we interact with each other, the facial expressions we use or the hand gestures we want to let fly when someone cuts us off in traffic.

Every day, we are given chances to set an example of how God would want something done vs. how we as human beings selfishly want to respond. What an amazing opportunity for each of us to impact this broken world we live in.

PRAY

God, please grant the ability to appreciate the gift of each day. Allow me to understand every opportunity that comes my way from the perspective of eternity.

Bless me with the right words to say, the best emotional response and a Jesus-inspired smile in all my interactions. Thank you for each opportunity I’m blessed with to advance your Kingdom.

In Jesus’ name, amen.