May 28
Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise.
James 5:13
When we feel lousy it’s very hard to be cheerful. When we are in pain it’s very hard to find much to praise. But when we are suffering a foundational action we can take is to pray. To get in close touch and intimate contact with the source of our lives, with the creator of all goodness, is to make a connection with a power greater than pain, greater than suffering, greater than fear and despair. It is in making that connection that we will begin to be lifted from our distress and will begin to find relief and hope and joy once again.
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name over all the earth! We praise you this day because when we call to you, you answer us, bringing hope, joy and relief. Amen.
May 29
Each one helps the other, saying to one another, “Take courage!”
Isaiah 41:6
When we are able to connect with others who have experienced the face of cancer too, we can find an understanding that is immediate and knowing. Such connections cut deeply beneath the surface and take us to places we desperately need to go. It is a rich blessing when we find those who know the path we are taking and can truly walk with us along the way. Be open to those who have been on the journey too, especially those who are traveling with peace, hope and grace. They are surely God’s messengers, offering us the courage we need to face the future unafraid.
Open my eyes to your messengers in my midst, dear God. I know they are all around. I know they are sent my way to help show me the better way. Amen.
May 30
Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.
Ephesians 4:26
There is no doubt that there is much to be angry about when cancer invades our lives. We need to acknowledge it, vent it healthily and resolve the issues that give rise to anger within us. If we do not, and allow anger to consume us and fester within us, it will destroy us in many ways. Anger can be a blessing when it propels us to positive action. Anger can be a curse when it takes root in us and we do not let it go.
When I do not resolve my angry feelings, I am not whole, O God. Instead I am weakened and divided. Grant me the grace to deal with my anger and find the peace and tranquility I need. Amen.
May 31
I will lead the blind by a road they do not know, by paths they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I will do, and I will not forsake them.
Isaiah 42:16
God is always in front of us to show us a new way when we do not know the way to go. God is always above us to pierce the darkness so that we may see what we need to see. God is always around us to help us walk with confidence when we find ourselves going in directions completely unknown and uncertain to us. God will always see us through whatever we encounter day by day. We have this everlasting and eternal assurance from ancient days to now.
Remind us that you do not forget us, O God. Remind us that you do not forget our fear and our pain. Remind us that you remember our needs and meet us where we are, to show us where we need to be. Amen.
June 1
But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.
2 Corinthians 4:7-9
What extraordinary words! What a powerful promise from God! We need not be shattered, anguished, forgotten or defeated by the cancer in our lives. We can think of all the negative possibilities we want. But because God is on our side we can be lifted and carried through all the trials that confront us. God will make us victorious in infinite, profound and eternal ways.
I will focus on these promises today, O God. I will rest on your outstretched arm and hold onto your stabilizing hand. I will look to you to see me through. Amen.
June 2
If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.
2 Corinthians 11:30
Cancer makes us very vulnerable. It opens us to thoughts, feelings and emotions we may never have had before. It confronts us with mortality. It strips away our defenses and our strength. Cancer rudely threatens us in constant ways. But in our weakness, cancer is also an opportunity to grow, to reprioritize and to change the way we look at life. Cancer can defeat us or it can empower us. It is our choice.
It often seems easier to choose defeat with this cancer I’m living with. Dear God, help me to choose triumph instead. Help me to use this time to discover who I have really been created to be. Amen.
June 3
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.
Philippians 4:4
We have a choice between looking at all that is wrong and bad in our lives or between seeking what is right and good. Where will we put our focus? Of course, we must confront the things that are hurting us and find ways to correct them. But we must also, even more importantly, choose to be open to actively recognizing the countless blessings and benefits we are given every day. They are all around. Start counting them. See how your life takes on a brand new, refreshing perspective.
Dear Lord, giver of all that is good. Help us to recognize the many gifts of joy, love, hope and peace in our lives. May we be transformed by them in untold ways. Amen
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