February 18
I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.
Romans 9:2
Some days are just bad. No matter how much hope we have. No matter how much strength we possess. No matter how much support surrounds us. No matter what anyone says, sometimes we simply have rotten days. On those days the best thing to do is acknowledge the struggle. Sometimes all we can do is open up to the truth and pour out our fear and pain – especially to God, who already knows and understands. It is particularly important to be honest with ourselves just how bad we feel. In those starkly honest moments of realization and openness we begin to feel the healing balm of relief because of the release we allow ourselves to have.
Sometimes I just can’t hide how difficult it is, just how lousy I feel. Dear God, I know you understand and I know you will help me. I just can’t do this by myself. Amen.
February 19
Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good;
Romans 12:9
It’s a struggle to keep positive when we’re dealing with cancer. It’s not easy to maintain a focus on hope when so much around and within us points toward harmful, threatening things. Yet staying positive is exactly what we need to do. Creating and maintaining an attitude of affirmation is an essential component to healing. Knowing what is bad for us is essential too. To understand what works for us and what does not can help us immensely to navigate the turbulence and challenge of cancer.
I need your help to show me what is good for me and what is not. Dear God, I don’t always get it right. But when I rely more on you I discover that I can see more clearly to find my way. Amen.
February 20
Love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.
Romans 12:10
Focus on what is good. Concentrate on finding the tremendous value in everyone important to you. Commit to expressing your gratitude on a constant basis. Putting yourself in a positive mental place will only enhance and support your efforts at healing. The healing journey does not need negativity and bitterness to mar its way. It does no good to allow hostility to gain a foothold in our minds. Instead, a foundation of respect, appreciation, enjoyment and joy will provide us with the inner tools we need to create an atmosphere most conducive to regaining strength, hope and health.
I do find, gracious God, that when I make an effort to see the positive aspects of life around me, my whole outlook is brighter and better. So, I just ask that you help me to keep focusing on those things. They really do sustain my everyday life. Amen.
February 21
Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.
Romans 12:12
Hope. Patience. Perseverance. Each of these is a gift of healing and grace. Each one is necessary to possess to take us toward better days. Hope gives us a purpose to keep on going. Patience carries us through the difficult times and delivers us to days that are good. Perseverance gives us strength to not give up in the dark moments and periods. And perseverance leads us back to hope. Each gift is an integral part of the cancer journey. We need to foster and nurture these gifts in every way we can. They are vital to our health and our well-being.
I really am thankful, caring God, for these gifts you offer to me. On the days when I find it especially tough, they give power to help me face the immense challenges around me. Amen.
February 22
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.
Romans 12:14
Holding on to grudges and slights does us no good. Yet we’re all too good at harboring the resentments and reliving the bitter memories of the past. Holding on to these toxic emotions saps us of our energy and takes away the power we need to heal. It is far easier and infinitely less complicated to focus on what is positive rather than what is negative. In fact, we desperately need the positive energy we create to help us find hope and promise for the journey. Holding on to what is wrong and bad only creates an atmosphere that serves to pull us down and break our spirits.
I really need help to refocus my thoughts and attitudes on a positive level, gracious God. You know how quickly and even joyfully I enter into dark places in my heart and mind. I know that does not help me. So today I plead for your strength to help put me in the right frame of mind. Amen.
February 23
Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
Romans 12:15
Sometimes what we ache for most is merely to be heard and understood – to have someone know what we’re going through as much as anyone who is not us can. Sometimes we just need someone to laugh with us or to celebrate a good moment when it comes. Sometimes when a day is awful we just need someone who will let us complain and grumble without trying to cheer us up. So often the healing begins not with comments about how things could be worse or how they’re going to be better. But more often the healing begins when we are allowed simply to give voice to our feelings without judgment, scorn or even answers given in return. To have someone in our life who can simply listen to who we are is a genuinely blessed gift of healing and grace.
My feelings are so complex and so uncertain so much of the time, O God. I know you understand that. I also know that you understand the complexities and uncertainties of my days. I am so grateful that you listen and just let me pour it out to you. I am grateful for others who do that for me too. Amen.
February 24
"No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar, but on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light."
Luke 11:33
Cancer is often associated with darkness. Darkness can descend upon our spirits and minds when we learn that cancer has entered our lives. Yet God does not want us to live in darkness. And cancer does not have to equate with darkness. Our challenge – and our privilege – is to allow God’s light to shine deeply in our souls to drive the darkness, and its associated despair and doubt, away. God has already placed the light of healing, the light of hope and the light of new life within us. We must allow the light to warm us, to encourage us and to show us the way toward healing. We must allow God’s light to reflect from us an expression of hope that is real and powerful. Is God’s light reflected through you? Can others see the promise and possibility of God’s healing in you? Do you see the promise within you? If not, reflect on why.
This light you give me, O God, is a true gift for my spirit and my soul. I know I don’t always reflect it as I could. But on this day I open myself up to you more than ever to let your goodness shine through. Amen.
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