January 14
…for God’s temple is holy and you are that temple.
I Corinthians 3:17b
Undoubtedly, when we don’t feel well, we don’t feel much like a temple of God. It’s hard to feel holy when pain does not go away, when sleep does not come or when our bodies no longer can do the things they have always done before. It’s hard to feel like a reflection of God when our hope is diminished, our outlook is downbeat or our dreams seem defeated. Yet, no matter how low we feel and how uncertain we are, we are reassured of this: • God made us and understands our every need;
• in God’s understanding, God is deeply involved in meeting those needs;
• even though we do not always recognize how God may be at work for us, we can know that God is caring for us in ways too profound to number.
This intimate care is a reflection of God’s love, a sign of our holiness in God’s eyes.
Holy God, by creating me in your divine image you announce that you want neither harm nor defeat to mark my life. In my darkest moments with disease and despair, I need to be reminded of your love. And I’m glad that you do. Amen.
January 15
The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish …
2 Peter 3:9
We want what we want when we want it. That’s natural and human. But in our humanness we fail to remember that we don’t know everything. One of the most difficult things for us to consider is God’s infinite knowledge about our needs and the larger picture surrounding us. We show this most with our impatience. We hate to wait. We beg for relief, we cry for better answers and we tell God what to do. Our limited understandings and perspectives and our preconceived ideas often close our minds and hearts to God’s better plans and more perfect timing. But when we remember that God wants nothing more than our well-being and healing, we can remain assured that in the best timing we will be blessed with every one of our needs.
Waiting and trusting in you to show me your better way are the hardest things I have to do, loving God. Teach me your patience. Assure me of your devotion. Help me to know your perfect care – even in the face of my fear and doubt. Amen.
January 16
And this is the boldness we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
1 John 5:14
God responds to our needs with only the best of answers. Because God sees and knows far beyond anything we are able to, God’s response to our needs may be far different than anything we may think is best or expect. With cancer there is often a lot of pleading to God, a lot of bargaining with God to change the realities confronting us. And far too often many of us pull back from God because we think – wrongly – that God is not attentive or that God does not care. We must always keep in the forefront of our minds that God knows even more intimately than we do just what we need to find strength and healing. Don’t be afraid to pour out to God what’s on your mind and what’s in your heart. But also don’t be afraid to listen with a more open and receptive spirit for what God has in store for you. What God has arranged is far more wonderful than anything we can devise or imagine on our own.
I need to open my spirit to you, O Lord. I need to be open to receiving and accepting your will. I need to remember that what you give is always what is right and best for me. Amen.
January 17
May mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.
Jude 2
Mercy – compassion, kindness, forgiveness, understanding.
Peace – calm, tranquility, harmony, serenity.
Love – affection, devotion, care, concern.
To respond to cancer with confidence and strength, we need these gifts in supreme abundance. We can’t thrive without them. Seek them out. Surround yourself with those who share those gifts and who are examples of them. Treasure them when you find them. Nurture them. Hold onto them with gratitude and grace. They are your best hope to begin creating wellness in your life.
I hold onto you, dear God, because you are my best example of mercy, peace and love. You show me what they mean. You provide these healing blessings in my life. What wonderful gifts they are! Amen.
January 18
Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
Hebrews 13:16
Cancer survivors realize that they need to give as well as receive. It is dangerous when we get so caught up in our own limitations and struggles. As we retreat further and further within ourselves, we lose a vital perspective about the larger world. We forget that there is life beyond cancer. But it is by reaching out, by opening ourselves up to others and their lives and by sharing our gifts and blessings, we begin to grow and change in significant ways. Soon, as we look beyond ourselves, we experience new ideas, new answers and new attitudes, so many that are positive and good. This is the beginning of our healing. It is what we are created to do. It is an essential part of our hope.
I can all too easily get caught up in my own problems. I can get so self-absorbed that I miss the joy and love around me. So today, O God, I will try to look beyond myself to see a better perspective. Today, I ask for your help. Amen.
January 19
But we are not among those who shrink back and so are lost, but among those who have faith and so are saved.
Hebrews 10:39
A significant factor in healing is determination. It is determination that is a true survival trait. Determination is strength of mind and purpose, a resolve which comes from within; from the inner well-spring of power that God has given to all of us. Determination is a healing tool, empowering us to find courage and stamina, enabling us to act when we need to. It delivers us from the immobilization of passivity. It is the gift God gives us to help us follow God’s will. Determination is a by-product of our faith, an acceptance of God’s guidance and a willingness to go where God leads.
My faith in you gives me strength, O Lord. It helps me to have courage and gives me the guidance I need to find my way on this journey. I am so blessed by the help you give me and I offer you my thanks for all you do. Amen.
January 20
Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
Ephesians 5:11
It’s amazingly easy to go down the path of complaint and disillusionment. Cancer has an innate way of taking over our lives and robbing us of its goodness and joy. But only if we let it. Yes, cancer is tough to deal with. But don’t give it more than it is due. Don’t give in to its darker powers. Recognize when it’s taking over. Confront it when it’s creating an unwelcome imbalance in your life. Acknowledge its impact. Meet it head on. But choose to reveal its imperfect ways. And choose as well to minimize its place by deciding to be well and live well again.
It does me no good to focus only on things I see as wrong, O God. So I turn this day over to you to help me see with great clarity all that is right as well. Amen.
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