I was recently asked to tell my Breast Cancer story to a group of young ladies, who are part of Alpha Kappa Alpha at Johnson C. Smith University. One of the questions asked after I gave my presentation was, “Did my faith increase, decrease or stay the same?” I said, “It stayed the same“, but as I thought about it later, I should have answered differently.
A Great Example
I said it stayed the same because I never really asked – “Why me?” I didn’t ask that question because I remember biblically there was a man named Job. Yep, and the Lord saw him as basically good. So God says to the devil, “Have you considered my servant, Job? ” Job was a good man, he was upright and did all the things he should’ve done and you know what happened here? (Spoiler alert – He lost it all!) But he survived. Anyway, if God thought that much about someone who had followed him faithfully and he let all those things happen to him. How could I say what I have been afflicted with is so bad?
Taking Precautions
In answer to the young lady’s question, I should have said, “It did increase my faith.” So, when I think about the story of Job, I think anything can happen to anybody. There are some things we have little control over. Fretting about receiving a cancer diagnosis is normal, however it does little to move us forward – unless it motivates us to do some things differently. Although we believe we have properly exercised, gotten good sleep (sometimes), tried to eat well, and perhaps have received clean bills of health every year for decades, we may still can find ourselves getting that news.
Your Charge
You know, all we do to live a healthy life is not in vain, it has moved us further along. But it does not guarantee that we won’t encounter obstacles. However, despite what we face, let’s keep our heads up. This is your life. How are you going to make sure you enjoy your great adventure?
Let me know what you think.