April 27
But take care and watch yourselves closely, so as neither to forget the things that your eyes have seen nor to let them slip from your mind all the days of your life; make them known to your children and your children’s children –
Deuteronomy 4:9
You are deeply important to God. You are deeply important to this world and the time in which we live. You have been placed here by God to make a positive difference in this world, to make it better through your presence. You have vital work to do - work that expresses love, work that lifts others up, work that introduces others to a higher purpose – work that reflects the grace and goodness of God. You are a blessed person because you are a child of God. The blessings you enjoy and the blessings you share are the true essence of who you are in this life. When you understand how important you are and how much you have to offer to those around you it can bring greater meaning to your life – and greater purpose to your recovery.
When I am reminded of my significance in your plan for the world, O God, I have more purpose and intention on this journey. That’s just what I need when the day is rough. I cherish this reminder of my value and meaning to you. Amen.
April 28
Because the Lord your God is a merciful God, he will neither abandon you nor destroy you; he will not forget the covenant with your ancestors that he swore to them.
Deuteronomy 4:31
We may easily forget how faithful God is to us. The circumstances of our lives cause our levels of trust to waver wildly from day to day. But as inconsistent as we may be and as volatile as our faith often is, God never turns from us. God will never leave us to make this difficult journey alone. God will never forget who we are, where we are or what we are going through. God created us out of love to experience love in everything we do. God wants us to live life abundantly and joyfully. God wants us to experience blessing and peace. God offers all these things to us. Even when we are inclined to disbelieve or forget, God never leaves us by ourselves to find our way.
Dear God, from the beginning of time your love was made known. Your faithfulness was made clear. When I forget that, I am sorry. But when I remember, I am given greater confidence and hope. Thank you for never giving up on me. Amen.
April 29
For you are a people holy to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on earth to be his people, his treasured possession.
Deuteronomy 7:6
It’s really impossible to comprehend the depth and passion of God’s love for us. Because it’s so difficult we often cannot even begin to believe it is real. When we’re feeling incredibly threatened and desperately vulnerable because of a disease such as cancer, it’s hard to imagine that we matter. But we are not insignificant. We truly are treasured by God. And because we are treasured we are cared for and protected no matter what is going on around us or within us. We are deeply prized, valued and cherished by God. We are God’s finest and most profound creations. Made in God’s awe-inspiring image, we are intimately connected to all that is divine and eternal. There is nothing more precious to God than what God has made in human form.
When I am enfolded in the knowledge of your loving embrace, I am given peace and reassurance that I am not in this challenge alone. It helps so much to realize you care for me beyond words. Thank you, O Lord. Amen.
April 30
This is right and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
1 Timothy 2:3-4
One of the quickest things we forget when we are hit with devastating news is that there can and will be better days for us ahead. We get so caught up in the crisis of the moment that we lose sight of the hope and promise that this can be but a temporary thing. Our senses become clouded and our reason becomes unfocused. We fall into despair and doubt so easily that our expectations become very negative. It is our biggest challenge to keep from wallowing in anxiety and fear. In this state we forget that God does not want our suffering or our pain. God does not desire us to give up or to give in to anguish and disillusionment. God wants us to know the truth – that we are loved, that we matter and that we are offered help for this day and for all eternity.
My faith comes and goes so dramatically, O God. It rises and falls sometimes moment by moment. I need your help to keep me strong, to keep me believing in your gracious love and care. It’s a lifeline that I desperately need. Amen.
May 1
… thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.
1 Timothy 6:19
What makes life worth living for you? What stirs deep love in your heart? Nurture those things. What enables you to have unshakable hope in what lies ahead? Cling to those things. What offers you unbridled joy in living? Pursue those things. What brings you peace and fills your soul? Pray for those things. Take a good, long look inside of you to grow in understanding about what is most important to you, about what offers you significance and instills a passion for this life you have. One extremely vital key to survival is to have a purpose, to be filled with meaning, to live a life that matters. Where there is little meaning, it is time to make a change. Where there is worth and value it is your opportunity to cherish those things and help them grow ever stronger for a renewed life.
When I get so caught up in my own problems and worries, I forget to make the time to look within and really know who and what I am. It’s not always easy to do. But I am asking you, dear God, to show me the way today, the way to what is most important for my life. Amen.
May 2
Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy.
2 Timothy 1:4
The cancer journey cannot be made alone. It may feel as if we are all alone and, of course, no one else can understand exactly what we are going through. But we need others with us who will help, encourage, guide and nurture us. We need them, especially for our souls. There is nothing worse than feeling totally alone, misunderstood or without support. It is then when we become so discouraged that we lose hope and the will to go on. But the right people, with the right attitude, with the right concern for our well-being, with the right spirit of support can be a blessing to us that is immeasurable beyond our immediate understanding. They can sustain and strengthen us in ways too deep for words.
I cannot fully express to you how much it means to me when someone reaches out to me with grace and compassion. It lifts me up. It carries me through. It gives me hope. Thank you, dear God, for bringing these good people into my life. Amen.
May 3
The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.
2 Timothy 4:22
This benediction, one of many throughout the scriptures, serves as a reminder that God constantly watches over us. It serves as an endorsement of our very lives and of our special place in God’s plan. It calls us to understand that we have an eternal protector who knows everything we experience, every challenge we endure, every need we have. This assurance of God’s divine blessing over our lives provides us with tremendous certainties – that our struggles are not unnoticed, that our dilemmas are not ours to face alone, that our pain is not in vain, that our circumstances are not without meaning, that our journey is not without guidance and direction. And it means so much more as well. This benediction, along with all the others the scriptures hold, is our lifeline to the One who sees us through it all. It is our lifeline to wholeness, hope and healing.
It is your spirit, wonderful God, which keeps me going and helps me to find your way, which is so much better for my life. Knowing that you accompany me is the richest blessing of my life. Amen.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Friday, April 19, 2013
Week of April 20 - 26
April 20
His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
2 Peter 1:3
We have been created to live abundantly in God’s image, to reflect the nature of God in everything we do. And that nature is one of healing, of joy and of peace. Anytime any one of us is not experiencing fully the nature of God, God actively works to provide it for us. God works to give us the help we need to reclaim what is our birthright as those created in God’s image. We have at our disposal, already, the means to be well and whole again wherever we need it, the way to experience delight every day and the ability to live in serenity. God wants nothing but goodness for us. When we are not healthy God wants nothing more for us than to find wholeness and well-being again. We need to claim this desire of God’s and hold tightly onto it. This knowledge and belief gives us hope and strength to meet each new day and everything each day brings.
Dear God of life and goodness, when the circumstances of my life wear me down I need to refocus my understandings and perspectives on you and your plans for me. I know they are plans for healing and joy, and when I forget, I need you to remind me again. Amen.
April 21
Therefore I intend to keep on reminding you of these things, though you know them already and are established in the truth that has come to you.
2 Peter 1:12
All of us need to keep coming back to the truth of who we are in this world God has made for us. When life gets rough, when we are threatened and vulnerable, we need to be reminded again and again how loved we are in the sight of God. Cancer can make us feel deeply alone. It can cause us to seem forgotten and abandoned. It can force us to think we will never see better days or health again. But the truth is we are not in this by ourselves. We are not deserted and discarded. We are instead given the help and the hope we need to find recovery and strength once more. God’s infinite and unconditional devotion to us stands as a beacon to us when our days are at their most difficult. We must never stop remembering that God does not want our distress to last.
There are plenty of days when I feel as if I am hanging on only by a thread. And I wonder when it will break and I will fall into bottomless despair. Tell me again, O God, that this will not last, that I will have better days ahead. Amen.
April 22
Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.
Proverbs 16:3
We believe too often that we have to carry this burden of disease and recovery all on our own. We get so caught up in what we think we need to do that we forget to think about what God can do. And God can do just what we think we can’t. When the responsibilities seem too big, when the decisions seem too complex, when the answers seems too uncertain, we will discover relief when we remember that this is not a load we must carry by ourselves. God is constantly providing us a way so that cancer does not destroy us. God is already working on our behalf even before we realize what we need. God is forever offering to us help to carry the load and help to carry us when the load is too much. We need to allow God to work in us. Then we will find the path to be filled with so much more hope and peace.
I try to shoulder far more than I should, dear God. And then when it gets to be too hard I realize how much I need you to help see me through. Help me to realize that I need you sooner so that I don’t wait until I am so overwhelmed. Amen.
April 23
The human mind plans the way, but the Lord directs the steps.
Proverbs 16:9
God has given us great powers to direct and shape our lives. We have been given the gift of choice in how we carry out our days. Our minds are granted great authority to discern our path and direction. But we have also been created to look to God for the things we cannot perceive or understand on our own. When we forget that, we can find ourselves in trouble, floundering and being frightened in a multitude of ways. Because there is a much larger picture we cannot see, we need to allow God to lead us in the ways God knows are best. God often has surprises in store for us that may not be what we imagined or planned, wonderful surprises that are far better and stronger than anything we could imagine. Think today of those times when God had something far better planned for you than you ever could have planned for yourself. When you think about it you’ll be astounded at how many of those times there have been.
I like to think I know best, but, dear God, I cannot even begin to compare to you. So, when I am inclined to do something my way, a way that will not be best for my journey, please show me your better way and help me to embrace it for my own good. Amen.
April 24
See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are.
I John 3: 1 a,b
A child of God. That is what every one of us is. We are created in a divine and special image to reflect God’s goodness, grace, wonder and love. God has created us to find joy and to grow to experience the awesome power and glory of eternity. When we suffer, God feels the hurt as well. When we are afraid, God understands our anxiety. When we are overwhelmed, God experiences the burden with us. Through it all God also reaches out to give us comfort, to calm our disquieted hearts and to lift the weight of our distress. When we feel as if this disease is too much for us, as if we don’t have a way out or we can never have better days, God reassures us constantly that we are loved and cherished – and helped and guided – no matter how difficult the day.
Today, O God, I am given greater strength because I know I belong to you. That you have created me and treasure me beyond any words I can express provides incredible comfort. When I am feeling down and questioning how I can go on, it is very reassuring to know you care so much for me. Amen.
April 25
Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.
I John 3:2
Do you really believe you have been created in the image of God? Do you really accept you are loved unconditionally? Do you really comprehend God wants nothing but wholeness and healing for you? Do you really know God forgives you? Do you really trust God is reaching out with loving, healing arms to strengthen and guide you? On this journey of survival it is deeply important that you do realize all these things. When you understand how precious and vital your life and well-being are in God eyes, you gain a source of power and purpose that is stronger than anything else you can have in your life. Trust in the grace of a God who cherishes and never fails you. Hold onto the promises of this God who is our greatest hope, our healing rock.
Because you made me you know me. You know me as I am. You know just what I need. I don’t even know myself as well as you know who I am. In your intimate understanding, O God, please reach out to show me everything I need. Amen.
April 26
And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
I John 3:3
When we realize our deep worth to God we gain a new perspective about life and our purpose in it. We appreciate that our mistakes are behind us and forgotten. We recognize that we have been put here to make a difference. We comprehend that we have been blessed with gifts of abundance to nurture and to share. When we understand that God has a divine purpose for us we begin to live in a new and different way. That way has more joy in it, more love, more peace and ultimately more hope. This special knowledge is essential to finding meaning in our cancer and the motivation to survive it. Today, be reassured that your healing is of great value to God. Believe that you deserve to find healing and live as if you are already claiming healing as your own.
I need to know my worth, dear God. Often when I am feeling tired or alone or afraid I forget how precious my life is to you. I need my life to be just as valued by me, too. Amen.
His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
2 Peter 1:3
We have been created to live abundantly in God’s image, to reflect the nature of God in everything we do. And that nature is one of healing, of joy and of peace. Anytime any one of us is not experiencing fully the nature of God, God actively works to provide it for us. God works to give us the help we need to reclaim what is our birthright as those created in God’s image. We have at our disposal, already, the means to be well and whole again wherever we need it, the way to experience delight every day and the ability to live in serenity. God wants nothing but goodness for us. When we are not healthy God wants nothing more for us than to find wholeness and well-being again. We need to claim this desire of God’s and hold tightly onto it. This knowledge and belief gives us hope and strength to meet each new day and everything each day brings.
Dear God of life and goodness, when the circumstances of my life wear me down I need to refocus my understandings and perspectives on you and your plans for me. I know they are plans for healing and joy, and when I forget, I need you to remind me again. Amen.
April 21
Therefore I intend to keep on reminding you of these things, though you know them already and are established in the truth that has come to you.
2 Peter 1:12
All of us need to keep coming back to the truth of who we are in this world God has made for us. When life gets rough, when we are threatened and vulnerable, we need to be reminded again and again how loved we are in the sight of God. Cancer can make us feel deeply alone. It can cause us to seem forgotten and abandoned. It can force us to think we will never see better days or health again. But the truth is we are not in this by ourselves. We are not deserted and discarded. We are instead given the help and the hope we need to find recovery and strength once more. God’s infinite and unconditional devotion to us stands as a beacon to us when our days are at their most difficult. We must never stop remembering that God does not want our distress to last.
There are plenty of days when I feel as if I am hanging on only by a thread. And I wonder when it will break and I will fall into bottomless despair. Tell me again, O God, that this will not last, that I will have better days ahead. Amen.
April 22
Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.
Proverbs 16:3
We believe too often that we have to carry this burden of disease and recovery all on our own. We get so caught up in what we think we need to do that we forget to think about what God can do. And God can do just what we think we can’t. When the responsibilities seem too big, when the decisions seem too complex, when the answers seems too uncertain, we will discover relief when we remember that this is not a load we must carry by ourselves. God is constantly providing us a way so that cancer does not destroy us. God is already working on our behalf even before we realize what we need. God is forever offering to us help to carry the load and help to carry us when the load is too much. We need to allow God to work in us. Then we will find the path to be filled with so much more hope and peace.
I try to shoulder far more than I should, dear God. And then when it gets to be too hard I realize how much I need you to help see me through. Help me to realize that I need you sooner so that I don’t wait until I am so overwhelmed. Amen.
April 23
The human mind plans the way, but the Lord directs the steps.
Proverbs 16:9
God has given us great powers to direct and shape our lives. We have been given the gift of choice in how we carry out our days. Our minds are granted great authority to discern our path and direction. But we have also been created to look to God for the things we cannot perceive or understand on our own. When we forget that, we can find ourselves in trouble, floundering and being frightened in a multitude of ways. Because there is a much larger picture we cannot see, we need to allow God to lead us in the ways God knows are best. God often has surprises in store for us that may not be what we imagined or planned, wonderful surprises that are far better and stronger than anything we could imagine. Think today of those times when God had something far better planned for you than you ever could have planned for yourself. When you think about it you’ll be astounded at how many of those times there have been.
I like to think I know best, but, dear God, I cannot even begin to compare to you. So, when I am inclined to do something my way, a way that will not be best for my journey, please show me your better way and help me to embrace it for my own good. Amen.
April 24
See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are.
I John 3: 1 a,b
A child of God. That is what every one of us is. We are created in a divine and special image to reflect God’s goodness, grace, wonder and love. God has created us to find joy and to grow to experience the awesome power and glory of eternity. When we suffer, God feels the hurt as well. When we are afraid, God understands our anxiety. When we are overwhelmed, God experiences the burden with us. Through it all God also reaches out to give us comfort, to calm our disquieted hearts and to lift the weight of our distress. When we feel as if this disease is too much for us, as if we don’t have a way out or we can never have better days, God reassures us constantly that we are loved and cherished – and helped and guided – no matter how difficult the day.
Today, O God, I am given greater strength because I know I belong to you. That you have created me and treasure me beyond any words I can express provides incredible comfort. When I am feeling down and questioning how I can go on, it is very reassuring to know you care so much for me. Amen.
April 25
Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.
I John 3:2
Do you really believe you have been created in the image of God? Do you really accept you are loved unconditionally? Do you really comprehend God wants nothing but wholeness and healing for you? Do you really know God forgives you? Do you really trust God is reaching out with loving, healing arms to strengthen and guide you? On this journey of survival it is deeply important that you do realize all these things. When you understand how precious and vital your life and well-being are in God eyes, you gain a source of power and purpose that is stronger than anything else you can have in your life. Trust in the grace of a God who cherishes and never fails you. Hold onto the promises of this God who is our greatest hope, our healing rock.
Because you made me you know me. You know me as I am. You know just what I need. I don’t even know myself as well as you know who I am. In your intimate understanding, O God, please reach out to show me everything I need. Amen.
April 26
And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
I John 3:3
When we realize our deep worth to God we gain a new perspective about life and our purpose in it. We appreciate that our mistakes are behind us and forgotten. We recognize that we have been put here to make a difference. We comprehend that we have been blessed with gifts of abundance to nurture and to share. When we understand that God has a divine purpose for us we begin to live in a new and different way. That way has more joy in it, more love, more peace and ultimately more hope. This special knowledge is essential to finding meaning in our cancer and the motivation to survive it. Today, be reassured that your healing is of great value to God. Believe that you deserve to find healing and live as if you are already claiming healing as your own.
I need to know my worth, dear God. Often when I am feeling tired or alone or afraid I forget how precious my life is to you. I need my life to be just as valued by me, too. Amen.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Week of April 13 - 19
April 13
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.
I Corinthians 12:1
We should not underestimate how important it is to pay attention to our spiritual natures. Without a connection to something greater than ourselves we can be seriously overwhelmed. Without a perspective beyond ourselves we can be deeply restricted and cut off. Without a realization of our worth in eternal eyes we can be profoundly unaware of how significant we are and how important our wholeness and healing is to God. Through our spirits we are given tremendous gifts of strength, understanding, patience, courage, stamina, forgiveness, grace, appreciation and love. When we develop and rely upon these spiritual gifts to sustain and guide us we have access to a reservoir of resources that knows no bounds. The human spirit is a limitless source of help, given to us by a generous and compassionate God.
Dear God, on this journey I need all the help I can get. I know I need to draw on the deep, deep gifts you have given me. Thank you so much for them. When I really take the time to think about them their abundance is overwhelming. Amen.
April 14
Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many.
1 Corinthians 12:14
So often with cancer we have a razor sharp focus on the site of the disease and the fight to eradicate the disease from our bodies. But when we focus only on that, we neglect the rest of our selves. It takes the whole person to find healing from cancer. It takes a comprehensive approach to find all we need on this journey. We cannot, must not, neglect every other aspect of our selves. For one part of our selves to work best, all the other parts need to be at their best too. We have been created that way. We are at our healthiest that way. Pay attention not only to the physical and medical aspects of your treatment. But also pay just as close attention to the health and strength of the rest of your body. Just as importantly, give great care to keeping a positive attitude and a hopeful outlook. Faithfully and constantly, nurture the needs of your spirit and soul. Each part of you matters just as much as the other.
When you made me, dear God, you made me carefully and completely. Inspire me to care for myself completely, to nurture every part of this precious life you have given. Amen.
April 15
If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.
1 Corinthians 12:26
We don’t walk this path alone. When we hurt, those who love us hurt with us. When we are weak, the hearts of those close to us have something diminished in them too. When we feel strong, those who care about us feel better as well. When we hear wonderful news, the spirits of those around us are lifted in connection and in celebration. There is nothing that makes us feel more forlorn than the feeling of being all alone when the hardest of life’s challenges hit us. There is nothing emptier than having something good to share and feeling as if no one cares or appreciates our joy. But we need to remember that we are loved, that there are those who truly and deeply care about our circumstances. How good it is to know there are those who will cry with us and exult with us just because we are part of their lives.
Understanding God, you care about me in my good moments and in my bad moments too. You know just how I feel and just what I need. You are with me completely and unendingly. And you give me others in my life, to share with me, too. I am so grateful for you and for them. Amen.
April 16
But strive for the greater gifts and I will show you a still more excellent way.
I Corinthians 12:31
Cancer can drag us down a path that is full of fear, negativity and pain. It pushes us hard and it’s often difficult for us to resist its destructive power and persuasion. But the way of fear, of negativity and of pain is not the way that God wants any of us to go. God’s desire for us is to experience much more instead. God’s desire for us is to know courage and peace. God’s way for us is to know promise and possibility. God’s plan for us is to know comfort and release. We do not have to be resigned to days that demoralize and defeat us. There is something better. There is something more. Don’t ever believe that there is no hope, no achievable plan for healing of your body, mind or soul. God has a way and when we put our trust in God’s hands we can find it.
I’m looking for your more excellent way, O God. I’m looking past my anxiousness and my doubts to find the healing you offer, the hope you promise and the help you reveal. Amen.
April 17
… for God is a God not of disorder but of peace.
I Corinthians 14:33
There is certainly incredible turmoil around each of us in this life. And with cancer there is surely much turmoil within. Cancer turns our lives and hopes upside down. But God has not created us to live in turmoil. God has not made us to be torn apart or to exist in pain. That is why when anguish and suffering come into our lives we need to look to God for our help and our hope. God does not want turmoil to define us. Instead God wants peace and tranquility to preside over our days. When struggles come and we find ourselves burdened and weary, we need to turn from the sources of chaos and disarray and turn toward the Source that provides serenity and grace instead.
Thank you, dear God, for always holding out to me the way to find healing from everything that torments and troubles me. I pray to recognize the help you offer and to allow it to transform my life. Amen.
April 18
Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong.
I Corinthians 16:13
When we are threatened in any way, we sometimes quickly lose our perspective and our confidence. Undoubtedly, cancer is right at the top of the list when it comes to the biggest threats in each of our lives. Cancer can coerce us into questioning if God really cares or will help us in our distress. It can tempt us to give in to fear, to persistent doubt, to worry and to chronic negativity. But God keeps promising that none of that needs to last. God keeps promising that we are not alone, that we are being helped, that we can find healing, that God indeed does understand. The scriptures are full of the witnesses of countless saints of the faith who also suffered and were deeply scared. And the scriptures are full of their ultimate claims to faith, to God’s very real and evident role in healing their troubled lives. We can be witnesses to the same faith too.
Ever-present God, I certainly waver a lot. You know that, just as I do too. But I am so grateful that you don’t cast me aside when I do. You still keep offering to me your comfort and your strength. Amen.
April 19
Let all that you do be done in love.
I Corinthians 16:14
It is so important to keep our focus on what this life is meant to be about. It’s essential to remember why we were created. We were created by God in love, to be loved and to share love. Love is what binds us together. Love is what causes us to reach out to care. Love is what propels us to resolve anger. Love helps to soothe pain. Love enables us to overcome bitterness. Love gives us reason to go on. God’s love is boundless, unconditional and eternal. It is because God loves us so much that God does not want us to suffer. Love relieves our distress. When we accept God’s love and live with the knowledge that in God’s eyes we are cherished, we can live with greater confidence in our healing and have greater hope for the journey we are on.
Loving God, gracious God, I know you are devoted to me. I know you treasure me beyond compare and only want what is best for me. Today I ask for your devotion to carry me through and remind me of how precious I am in your sight. Amen.
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.
I Corinthians 12:1
We should not underestimate how important it is to pay attention to our spiritual natures. Without a connection to something greater than ourselves we can be seriously overwhelmed. Without a perspective beyond ourselves we can be deeply restricted and cut off. Without a realization of our worth in eternal eyes we can be profoundly unaware of how significant we are and how important our wholeness and healing is to God. Through our spirits we are given tremendous gifts of strength, understanding, patience, courage, stamina, forgiveness, grace, appreciation and love. When we develop and rely upon these spiritual gifts to sustain and guide us we have access to a reservoir of resources that knows no bounds. The human spirit is a limitless source of help, given to us by a generous and compassionate God.
Dear God, on this journey I need all the help I can get. I know I need to draw on the deep, deep gifts you have given me. Thank you so much for them. When I really take the time to think about them their abundance is overwhelming. Amen.
April 14
Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many.
1 Corinthians 12:14
So often with cancer we have a razor sharp focus on the site of the disease and the fight to eradicate the disease from our bodies. But when we focus only on that, we neglect the rest of our selves. It takes the whole person to find healing from cancer. It takes a comprehensive approach to find all we need on this journey. We cannot, must not, neglect every other aspect of our selves. For one part of our selves to work best, all the other parts need to be at their best too. We have been created that way. We are at our healthiest that way. Pay attention not only to the physical and medical aspects of your treatment. But also pay just as close attention to the health and strength of the rest of your body. Just as importantly, give great care to keeping a positive attitude and a hopeful outlook. Faithfully and constantly, nurture the needs of your spirit and soul. Each part of you matters just as much as the other.
When you made me, dear God, you made me carefully and completely. Inspire me to care for myself completely, to nurture every part of this precious life you have given. Amen.
April 15
If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.
1 Corinthians 12:26
We don’t walk this path alone. When we hurt, those who love us hurt with us. When we are weak, the hearts of those close to us have something diminished in them too. When we feel strong, those who care about us feel better as well. When we hear wonderful news, the spirits of those around us are lifted in connection and in celebration. There is nothing that makes us feel more forlorn than the feeling of being all alone when the hardest of life’s challenges hit us. There is nothing emptier than having something good to share and feeling as if no one cares or appreciates our joy. But we need to remember that we are loved, that there are those who truly and deeply care about our circumstances. How good it is to know there are those who will cry with us and exult with us just because we are part of their lives.
Understanding God, you care about me in my good moments and in my bad moments too. You know just how I feel and just what I need. You are with me completely and unendingly. And you give me others in my life, to share with me, too. I am so grateful for you and for them. Amen.
April 16
But strive for the greater gifts and I will show you a still more excellent way.
I Corinthians 12:31
Cancer can drag us down a path that is full of fear, negativity and pain. It pushes us hard and it’s often difficult for us to resist its destructive power and persuasion. But the way of fear, of negativity and of pain is not the way that God wants any of us to go. God’s desire for us is to experience much more instead. God’s desire for us is to know courage and peace. God’s way for us is to know promise and possibility. God’s plan for us is to know comfort and release. We do not have to be resigned to days that demoralize and defeat us. There is something better. There is something more. Don’t ever believe that there is no hope, no achievable plan for healing of your body, mind or soul. God has a way and when we put our trust in God’s hands we can find it.
I’m looking for your more excellent way, O God. I’m looking past my anxiousness and my doubts to find the healing you offer, the hope you promise and the help you reveal. Amen.
April 17
… for God is a God not of disorder but of peace.
I Corinthians 14:33
There is certainly incredible turmoil around each of us in this life. And with cancer there is surely much turmoil within. Cancer turns our lives and hopes upside down. But God has not created us to live in turmoil. God has not made us to be torn apart or to exist in pain. That is why when anguish and suffering come into our lives we need to look to God for our help and our hope. God does not want turmoil to define us. Instead God wants peace and tranquility to preside over our days. When struggles come and we find ourselves burdened and weary, we need to turn from the sources of chaos and disarray and turn toward the Source that provides serenity and grace instead.
Thank you, dear God, for always holding out to me the way to find healing from everything that torments and troubles me. I pray to recognize the help you offer and to allow it to transform my life. Amen.
April 18
Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong.
I Corinthians 16:13
When we are threatened in any way, we sometimes quickly lose our perspective and our confidence. Undoubtedly, cancer is right at the top of the list when it comes to the biggest threats in each of our lives. Cancer can coerce us into questioning if God really cares or will help us in our distress. It can tempt us to give in to fear, to persistent doubt, to worry and to chronic negativity. But God keeps promising that none of that needs to last. God keeps promising that we are not alone, that we are being helped, that we can find healing, that God indeed does understand. The scriptures are full of the witnesses of countless saints of the faith who also suffered and were deeply scared. And the scriptures are full of their ultimate claims to faith, to God’s very real and evident role in healing their troubled lives. We can be witnesses to the same faith too.
Ever-present God, I certainly waver a lot. You know that, just as I do too. But I am so grateful that you don’t cast me aside when I do. You still keep offering to me your comfort and your strength. Amen.
April 19
Let all that you do be done in love.
I Corinthians 16:14
It is so important to keep our focus on what this life is meant to be about. It’s essential to remember why we were created. We were created by God in love, to be loved and to share love. Love is what binds us together. Love is what causes us to reach out to care. Love is what propels us to resolve anger. Love helps to soothe pain. Love enables us to overcome bitterness. Love gives us reason to go on. God’s love is boundless, unconditional and eternal. It is because God loves us so much that God does not want us to suffer. Love relieves our distress. When we accept God’s love and live with the knowledge that in God’s eyes we are cherished, we can live with greater confidence in our healing and have greater hope for the journey we are on.
Loving God, gracious God, I know you are devoted to me. I know you treasure me beyond compare and only want what is best for me. Today I ask for your devotion to carry me through and remind me of how precious I am in your sight. Amen.
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Week of April 6 - 12
April 6
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.
Ecclesiastes 4:9
The tendency to feel sorry for ourselves is a common one. When our bodies don’t react as they once did, when reports about our health are not what we’d like them to be, when life changes in ways we don’t ask for, we can and do easily retreat into self-pity. It is imperative that we know we don’t have to walk this path alone. We need to have others in our lives who can help encourage us, lift us up and enable us see things from a larger perspective. The tendency to become so self-absorbed can cause us to fail to see what is good around us and to miss vital avenues of help. We are deeply blessed people when we allow others into our lives who can support us and provide positive perspectives for us every day, perspectives we can’t always see on our own.
I do feel as if I am walking this journey alone too often, O God. But I realize that kind of thinking does me no good. Open my eyes to those who care about me and help me to accept their support and love today. Amen.
April 7
When you pass through the waters, I shall be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; …
Isaiah 43:2a
There are many times on this journey when it feels as if we’re drowning – drowning in fear, drowning in uncertainty, drowning in exhaustion, drowning in forces beyond our control. A cancer diagnosis sweeps us up into turbulent and raging waters. It brings with it violent storms of doubt and distress. We feel as if we are being carried away against our will. We wonder if we can overcome all that has poured out upon us. But God promises us we can. God tells us we will. God reassures us that no matter how far we are plunged into cancer’s depths, God will be with us and we need not be overwhelmed. God is here to keep us from going under. We always need to remember we have this lifeline, constant and true.
Being overwhelmed seems to be a way of life for me so often, dear God. So often I feel as if I’m being pulled under. When I feel out of control I need you to lift me up and I call out to you for that today. Amen.
April 8
For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help.
Ecclesiastes 9:10
The support we have through the cancer journey is essential. We need people around us who can listen to our fears and worries without judgment. We need people around us who are positive and encouraging. We need people around us who have only our best interests and needs in mind. There are many days when fear and anxiety strike us hard. We need around us those who love us enough to allow us to express what we’re feeling and then who will walk through the fires with us until we emerge from them. One of the most helpful things we can do for our healing is to know who these people are in our lives. Give thanks for those relationships and nurture them in every way you can. They provide a crucial lifeline that is a blessing in countless ways.
Just when I think I can’t do this on my own, you provide for me a reminder of how much I am loved and cared for. Just when I need someone to show me a more positive way, you bring someone to me to give me just what I need. Thank you, O God. Amen.
April 9
When you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.
Isaiah 43:2b
The intensity of cancer’s journey gets to be far too much at times. It can burn through our lives and destroy many of our yearnings and dreams for what we hope our lives to be. Too often we allow cancer to consume every bit of our lives. We can’t stop thinking about it, talking about it or worrying about what might come next. It gets in the way of our living joyfully and fully the way God has created us to live. When we feel as if we are being consumed by cancer, we need to allow God to fight the fires that burn. We need to allow God to control all the destructive fires that burn within and around us. We do not have to confront them by ourselves. Indeed, we should not; because we cannot do it completely on our own.
I’m walking through fire a lot, O God, and I’m having a hard time getting out of it. So I pray to you today to help me learn how not to be consumed. I pray to you to help me step out of the fire and put each of my days in a more positive perspective. Amen.
April 10
Again, if two lie together, they keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone?
Ecclesiastes 9:11
Again and again, God highlights our need for support and encouragement. God created us to live in connection with one another. Laughter is better when it is shared. Love is deeper when it is mutual. Life is richer when it is blessed with cherished relationships. When difficulties come into our lives, when disease and distress challenge us, the way through them is made much easier when those in our lives help to sustain us. The daunting tests we face with cancer can be far less intimidating when the laughter, love and life we experience is shared, mutual and cherished. How do your relationships sustain you? Hold onto those special ones that give you just what you need. They are gifts from God that we cannot do without.
The comforting embrace that comes from knowing there are others who really care for me is more important than I know how to say. Dear God, I can’t express enough how wonderful it is to know I walk this path with the help of others who truly care. Amen.
April 11
They lift up their voices, they sing for joy; they shout from the west over the majesty of the Lord.
Isaiah 24:14
In many ways there doesn’t seem to be much to celebrate when cancer comes into our lives. The anxiety and disruption it causes doesn’t lend itself very easily to good times and fun. It’s very easy to lose sight of the things that are good – the love of those who care about us, the activities that bring us contentment, the wonder of creation around us. It’s especially easy to lose sight of the blessings that come with faith – hope for better days, confidence that healing can really happen, reassuring guidance for our spirits and lives. We can quickly overlook the parts of our lives that are positive. We can simply forget that practicing gratitude will change our attitudes profoundly. Our challenge is to create an atmosphere of thanksgiving and to live in it. When we lift up our voices in thanks and live in joy our lives truly do change in positive ways.
When I struggle with the things I don’t like about my circumstances, I pull myself down and I don’t like how that feels. When I’m in that frame of mind, I ask you, dear God, to show me a better way, a way of gladness, goodness and joy. Amen.
April 12
And though one might prevail against another, two will withstand one. A threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Ecclesiastes: 9:12
There can be a lot of negativity surrounding cancer. The realities of weakened immune systems, the side effects of many treatments, the consequences of bad test results and the concerned, but misplaced comments of people around us, all can serve to bring us down. When we feel bombarded and beleaguered, it’s very easy to focus on all that’s going wrong. If we allow it we can become easily broken down. That’s where we need the positive influence and encouragement of caring people around us, people who help us see beyond the frustrations and enable us to envision the very real possibilities and hopes that lie in front of us. We are infinitely stronger and more able to withstand the challenges when we can be reminded that the difficulties are not the only things in our lives.
I really do need to be reminded that there is so much more to my life and in my life than cancer, O God. When that is all I think about I am quickly brought down. But when you speak through others to show me there is more to consider I am lifted to where I need to be. Amen.
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.
Ecclesiastes 4:9
The tendency to feel sorry for ourselves is a common one. When our bodies don’t react as they once did, when reports about our health are not what we’d like them to be, when life changes in ways we don’t ask for, we can and do easily retreat into self-pity. It is imperative that we know we don’t have to walk this path alone. We need to have others in our lives who can help encourage us, lift us up and enable us see things from a larger perspective. The tendency to become so self-absorbed can cause us to fail to see what is good around us and to miss vital avenues of help. We are deeply blessed people when we allow others into our lives who can support us and provide positive perspectives for us every day, perspectives we can’t always see on our own.
I do feel as if I am walking this journey alone too often, O God. But I realize that kind of thinking does me no good. Open my eyes to those who care about me and help me to accept their support and love today. Amen.
April 7
When you pass through the waters, I shall be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; …
Isaiah 43:2a
There are many times on this journey when it feels as if we’re drowning – drowning in fear, drowning in uncertainty, drowning in exhaustion, drowning in forces beyond our control. A cancer diagnosis sweeps us up into turbulent and raging waters. It brings with it violent storms of doubt and distress. We feel as if we are being carried away against our will. We wonder if we can overcome all that has poured out upon us. But God promises us we can. God tells us we will. God reassures us that no matter how far we are plunged into cancer’s depths, God will be with us and we need not be overwhelmed. God is here to keep us from going under. We always need to remember we have this lifeline, constant and true.
Being overwhelmed seems to be a way of life for me so often, dear God. So often I feel as if I’m being pulled under. When I feel out of control I need you to lift me up and I call out to you for that today. Amen.
April 8
For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help.
Ecclesiastes 9:10
The support we have through the cancer journey is essential. We need people around us who can listen to our fears and worries without judgment. We need people around us who are positive and encouraging. We need people around us who have only our best interests and needs in mind. There are many days when fear and anxiety strike us hard. We need around us those who love us enough to allow us to express what we’re feeling and then who will walk through the fires with us until we emerge from them. One of the most helpful things we can do for our healing is to know who these people are in our lives. Give thanks for those relationships and nurture them in every way you can. They provide a crucial lifeline that is a blessing in countless ways.
Just when I think I can’t do this on my own, you provide for me a reminder of how much I am loved and cared for. Just when I need someone to show me a more positive way, you bring someone to me to give me just what I need. Thank you, O God. Amen.
April 9
When you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.
Isaiah 43:2b
The intensity of cancer’s journey gets to be far too much at times. It can burn through our lives and destroy many of our yearnings and dreams for what we hope our lives to be. Too often we allow cancer to consume every bit of our lives. We can’t stop thinking about it, talking about it or worrying about what might come next. It gets in the way of our living joyfully and fully the way God has created us to live. When we feel as if we are being consumed by cancer, we need to allow God to fight the fires that burn. We need to allow God to control all the destructive fires that burn within and around us. We do not have to confront them by ourselves. Indeed, we should not; because we cannot do it completely on our own.
I’m walking through fire a lot, O God, and I’m having a hard time getting out of it. So I pray to you today to help me learn how not to be consumed. I pray to you to help me step out of the fire and put each of my days in a more positive perspective. Amen.
April 10
Again, if two lie together, they keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone?
Ecclesiastes 9:11
Again and again, God highlights our need for support and encouragement. God created us to live in connection with one another. Laughter is better when it is shared. Love is deeper when it is mutual. Life is richer when it is blessed with cherished relationships. When difficulties come into our lives, when disease and distress challenge us, the way through them is made much easier when those in our lives help to sustain us. The daunting tests we face with cancer can be far less intimidating when the laughter, love and life we experience is shared, mutual and cherished. How do your relationships sustain you? Hold onto those special ones that give you just what you need. They are gifts from God that we cannot do without.
The comforting embrace that comes from knowing there are others who really care for me is more important than I know how to say. Dear God, I can’t express enough how wonderful it is to know I walk this path with the help of others who truly care. Amen.
April 11
They lift up their voices, they sing for joy; they shout from the west over the majesty of the Lord.
Isaiah 24:14
In many ways there doesn’t seem to be much to celebrate when cancer comes into our lives. The anxiety and disruption it causes doesn’t lend itself very easily to good times and fun. It’s very easy to lose sight of the things that are good – the love of those who care about us, the activities that bring us contentment, the wonder of creation around us. It’s especially easy to lose sight of the blessings that come with faith – hope for better days, confidence that healing can really happen, reassuring guidance for our spirits and lives. We can quickly overlook the parts of our lives that are positive. We can simply forget that practicing gratitude will change our attitudes profoundly. Our challenge is to create an atmosphere of thanksgiving and to live in it. When we lift up our voices in thanks and live in joy our lives truly do change in positive ways.
When I struggle with the things I don’t like about my circumstances, I pull myself down and I don’t like how that feels. When I’m in that frame of mind, I ask you, dear God, to show me a better way, a way of gladness, goodness and joy. Amen.
April 12
And though one might prevail against another, two will withstand one. A threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Ecclesiastes: 9:12
There can be a lot of negativity surrounding cancer. The realities of weakened immune systems, the side effects of many treatments, the consequences of bad test results and the concerned, but misplaced comments of people around us, all can serve to bring us down. When we feel bombarded and beleaguered, it’s very easy to focus on all that’s going wrong. If we allow it we can become easily broken down. That’s where we need the positive influence and encouragement of caring people around us, people who help us see beyond the frustrations and enable us to envision the very real possibilities and hopes that lie in front of us. We are infinitely stronger and more able to withstand the challenges when we can be reminded that the difficulties are not the only things in our lives.
I really do need to be reminded that there is so much more to my life and in my life than cancer, O God. When that is all I think about I am quickly brought down. But when you speak through others to show me there is more to consider I am lifted to where I need to be. Amen.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Week of March 30 - April 5
March 30
Listen to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you I pray.
Psalm 5:2
Recognition of where our greatest help comes from is vital. Without a strong spiritual center we are easily lost and demoralized. Without a belief that we have other, deeper resources upon which to draw, we are quickly distracted and discouraged. When we seek our internal strength from an eternal source of help and hope, we open ourselves to power and possibilities that we could not know merely on our own. Cancer is a journey that none of us can make by ourselves. It is one that requires us to reach out to tap into an intangible healing that this world cannot give. But God can. And God does. It is ours to have infinitely. All we need to do is open our hearts and minds to accept and nurture it.
I know, ultimately, that you do listen to me, dear God. My challenge is to listen more closely to you. What I need to do is make myself more available to you, by sharing with you my concerns and fears and by paying intimate attention to the answers you always give. Amen.
March 31
… "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it I grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches."
Matthew 13:31-32
No matter how small our hope may be, as long as we have at least a glimmer of hope we have something fundamental upon which to build our healing. If we take that glimmer and nurture it, it will begin to take hold and grow within us. As it begins to grow within us it begins to change our thinking, our attitudes, our outlook and ultimately our very lives. When it changes our lives it can change our health. Hope is an essential tool for survival. Hope that is allowed to develop and mature will provide a refuge amidst the challenges, a respite in spite of the burdens and a relief among the trials of every kind that cancer brings. A growing hope provides a home for us to come to, a sanctuary from every trouble, every setback and every care.
It amazes me all the time. Whenever I call on the hope within me – the hope you give me – my confidence and expectations for healing grow. Dear God, thank you for planting hope within me and for cultivating it in my life. Amen.
April 1
The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord accepts my prayer.
Psalm 6:9
Actually, God hears all our prayers. We never need to fear that God’s ears are closed or that God turns away from our cries for help. We never need to worry that God doesn’t care. Indeed, God knows and understands our deepest concerns and our most essential needs. There is nothing we can or need to hide from God. God wants us to unburden ourselves of all our anxieties and apprehensions. God recognizes all that disquiets us and assures us of listening so that we may know we are not alone. Our prayers are never in vain. In fact, God knows our needs even before we ask, and is already at work responding to those needs and giving us new life again. We have the blessed assurance of God’s devoted attention and acceptance.
It is a great reassurance to know that you understand the cries of my heart, compassionate God, and reach out to answer me even before I turn to you. I am deeply grateful that you know me so well – and love me so much. Amen.
April 2
… "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will."
Matthew 11:25-26
Cancer calls us to a new level of understanding. Cancer confronts us with our cherished beliefs and long-held opinions and challenges us to examine them. Cancer compels us to give up what no longer works for us and asks us to establish new habits that create a healthier way of life. It asks us to start again and trust in the way children do – easily, enthusiastically and hopefully. It asks us to trust in ideas we have never considered before, ideas that bring healing and wholeness in brand new ways. It is imperative for us to consider fresh perspectives and thoughts that are more positive and valuable. When we embrace every component that can bring us healing we can strengthen ourselves and have greater resources at our disposal. When we open ourselves to consider with fresh minds it is astounding what we may learn.
Sometimes I close my mind to new ideas, thinking I know enough, O God. But I’m certainly learning that I have so much more to learn. Even when I resist I am grateful for the new perspectives you show me. I am better for them. Amen.
April 3
O Lord my God, in you I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and deliver me.
Psalm 7:1
Cancer can be incredibly relentless. Often the force with which it hits us and the way it keeps intruding on our lives can be devastating. We discover we cannot deal well with it on our own. Turning to connect with the peace and assurance God provides will inspire us with the strength and focus we need to meet the challenges with confidence. God’s power is greater and more relentless than anything cancer throws at us. God’s healing touch is eternal, outlasting any destructive force cancer can bring. Turning to God is fundamental when we feel overwhelmed and pursued. It reminds us from where our greatest help comes. Placing our lives in God’s hands tells us again and again that we have a partner in the journey, a partner who will provide us with every good and healing foundation we need.
When I can remember that you are right here with me, I am not so weighed down. Dear God, sometimes the burden seems impossible to deal with. But when I consider your presence and your promises I am given renewed relief again. Amen.
April 4
So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir through God.
Galatians 4:7
God does not want us to be enslaved to disease. The difficulties of this world are not what God wants us to inherit. While we may have to experience them for a while, they are certainly only temporary with God. What we may have to endure is only for now. But God wants us to be assured that there is something much greater in store for us. Beyond this transient distress is an inheritance that dispels all the problems this world brings. God offers us a greater world where pain is comforted, where disappointment is soothed and where hardship is turned to ease. We are not created by God to live in anguish or anxiety. Instead we are created for goodness, wholeness and peace. This is what God wants us to have. Believe in this inheritance, live reaching for it and it will be yours.
You love me more than I can understand, dear God. Your desire for my well-being is far greater than anything I can imagine. I hold onto this certainty to give me courage and strength when everything else seems so uncertain. Amen.
April 5
God is my shield …
Psalm 7:10a
We must commit this truth to our hearts and minds and never let it be forgotten. We need to understand that there is an eternal presence surrounding us in both the good times and the bad. God is a shelter and a haven. Everything that confronts us can be overcome. Every terrible thing we feel can be soothed. Every moment of fear can be resolved. Every enemy can be vanquished. And not only that, but when we look to God not just when times are bad, but also when they are good, we begin to grow stronger and this provides us with a better foundation for anything we may have to face. It is amazing what we can overcome when we turn to the One who is greater than anything this world can give us.
Infinite God, your presence in my life is far greater than anything I am able to comprehend or say. You guide me. You protect me. You help me. You heal me. You are the answer to all my needs and cares. Thank you, deeply and gratefully. Amen.
Listen to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you I pray.
Psalm 5:2
Recognition of where our greatest help comes from is vital. Without a strong spiritual center we are easily lost and demoralized. Without a belief that we have other, deeper resources upon which to draw, we are quickly distracted and discouraged. When we seek our internal strength from an eternal source of help and hope, we open ourselves to power and possibilities that we could not know merely on our own. Cancer is a journey that none of us can make by ourselves. It is one that requires us to reach out to tap into an intangible healing that this world cannot give. But God can. And God does. It is ours to have infinitely. All we need to do is open our hearts and minds to accept and nurture it.
I know, ultimately, that you do listen to me, dear God. My challenge is to listen more closely to you. What I need to do is make myself more available to you, by sharing with you my concerns and fears and by paying intimate attention to the answers you always give. Amen.
March 31
… "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it I grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches."
Matthew 13:31-32
No matter how small our hope may be, as long as we have at least a glimmer of hope we have something fundamental upon which to build our healing. If we take that glimmer and nurture it, it will begin to take hold and grow within us. As it begins to grow within us it begins to change our thinking, our attitudes, our outlook and ultimately our very lives. When it changes our lives it can change our health. Hope is an essential tool for survival. Hope that is allowed to develop and mature will provide a refuge amidst the challenges, a respite in spite of the burdens and a relief among the trials of every kind that cancer brings. A growing hope provides a home for us to come to, a sanctuary from every trouble, every setback and every care.
It amazes me all the time. Whenever I call on the hope within me – the hope you give me – my confidence and expectations for healing grow. Dear God, thank you for planting hope within me and for cultivating it in my life. Amen.
April 1
The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord accepts my prayer.
Psalm 6:9
Actually, God hears all our prayers. We never need to fear that God’s ears are closed or that God turns away from our cries for help. We never need to worry that God doesn’t care. Indeed, God knows and understands our deepest concerns and our most essential needs. There is nothing we can or need to hide from God. God wants us to unburden ourselves of all our anxieties and apprehensions. God recognizes all that disquiets us and assures us of listening so that we may know we are not alone. Our prayers are never in vain. In fact, God knows our needs even before we ask, and is already at work responding to those needs and giving us new life again. We have the blessed assurance of God’s devoted attention and acceptance.
It is a great reassurance to know that you understand the cries of my heart, compassionate God, and reach out to answer me even before I turn to you. I am deeply grateful that you know me so well – and love me so much. Amen.
April 2
… "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will."
Matthew 11:25-26
Cancer calls us to a new level of understanding. Cancer confronts us with our cherished beliefs and long-held opinions and challenges us to examine them. Cancer compels us to give up what no longer works for us and asks us to establish new habits that create a healthier way of life. It asks us to start again and trust in the way children do – easily, enthusiastically and hopefully. It asks us to trust in ideas we have never considered before, ideas that bring healing and wholeness in brand new ways. It is imperative for us to consider fresh perspectives and thoughts that are more positive and valuable. When we embrace every component that can bring us healing we can strengthen ourselves and have greater resources at our disposal. When we open ourselves to consider with fresh minds it is astounding what we may learn.
Sometimes I close my mind to new ideas, thinking I know enough, O God. But I’m certainly learning that I have so much more to learn. Even when I resist I am grateful for the new perspectives you show me. I am better for them. Amen.
April 3
O Lord my God, in you I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and deliver me.
Psalm 7:1
Cancer can be incredibly relentless. Often the force with which it hits us and the way it keeps intruding on our lives can be devastating. We discover we cannot deal well with it on our own. Turning to connect with the peace and assurance God provides will inspire us with the strength and focus we need to meet the challenges with confidence. God’s power is greater and more relentless than anything cancer throws at us. God’s healing touch is eternal, outlasting any destructive force cancer can bring. Turning to God is fundamental when we feel overwhelmed and pursued. It reminds us from where our greatest help comes. Placing our lives in God’s hands tells us again and again that we have a partner in the journey, a partner who will provide us with every good and healing foundation we need.
When I can remember that you are right here with me, I am not so weighed down. Dear God, sometimes the burden seems impossible to deal with. But when I consider your presence and your promises I am given renewed relief again. Amen.
April 4
So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir through God.
Galatians 4:7
God does not want us to be enslaved to disease. The difficulties of this world are not what God wants us to inherit. While we may have to experience them for a while, they are certainly only temporary with God. What we may have to endure is only for now. But God wants us to be assured that there is something much greater in store for us. Beyond this transient distress is an inheritance that dispels all the problems this world brings. God offers us a greater world where pain is comforted, where disappointment is soothed and where hardship is turned to ease. We are not created by God to live in anguish or anxiety. Instead we are created for goodness, wholeness and peace. This is what God wants us to have. Believe in this inheritance, live reaching for it and it will be yours.
You love me more than I can understand, dear God. Your desire for my well-being is far greater than anything I can imagine. I hold onto this certainty to give me courage and strength when everything else seems so uncertain. Amen.
April 5
God is my shield …
Psalm 7:10a
We must commit this truth to our hearts and minds and never let it be forgotten. We need to understand that there is an eternal presence surrounding us in both the good times and the bad. God is a shelter and a haven. Everything that confronts us can be overcome. Every terrible thing we feel can be soothed. Every moment of fear can be resolved. Every enemy can be vanquished. And not only that, but when we look to God not just when times are bad, but also when they are good, we begin to grow stronger and this provides us with a better foundation for anything we may have to face. It is amazing what we can overcome when we turn to the One who is greater than anything this world can give us.
Infinite God, your presence in my life is far greater than anything I am able to comprehend or say. You guide me. You protect me. You help me. You heal me. You are the answer to all my needs and cares. Thank you, deeply and gratefully. Amen.
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Week of March 23 - 29
March 23
Do not let the foreigner joined to the Lord say, “The Lord will surely separate me from his people”; and do not let the eunuch say, “I am just a dry tree.”
Isaiah 56:3
Don’t let anyone tell you that God ever abandons or leaves us to face our troubles all alone. Don’t ever listen to those who claim that God does not care or that God does not act to give us all that we need. God loves us so much, so much more than we can ever really begin to understand. God never separates from us. Yes, we can separate from God through our lack of trust and faith. But never will God pull back from offering us the grace, guidance, support and help that will save us from the ravages of disease and despair. God wants us to experience healing and relief. God wants us to know the joy of this life and world. God wants us to be welcomed into the eternal arms of love and peace. No matter what we are going through, we need to know that God is with us to show us the way of healing and release.
I often feel as if I am separated from you, O God. When things don’t go the way I hope or when I feel overwhelmed by my circumstances, I need to know without a doubt that you really are with me. Please help me to see that you care, especially when I forget. Amen.
March 24
For thus says the Lord: To the eunuchs who keep my sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, I will give, in my house and within my walls, a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.
Isaiah 56:4-5
It’s easy when our world seems to be crumbling around us to think that everything is working against us. It’s easy to fall into a trap of self-despair and disillusionment. And it’s hard to remember that we are not abandoned and left to fend for ourselves. But God reminds us - because we need constant reminding - that we are not abandoned. God reminds us that we will never be left to rise or fall all alone. We often get so discouraged that we forget the continuous promises of God, promises of security, comfort, compassion and help, especially in times of trouble. We are created as God’s own. And God will never leave us or forsake us - even when we may leave God. Even when we do, God is faithful and just. God loves us that much. This is important to remember when we feel unlovable and uncertain.
I need the constant reminder of your faithful love for me, O God. When I am down and in distress I really need to know how much you care and how much you are looking out for me. Show me again, today. Amen.
March 25
“No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak, for the patch pulls away from the cloak, and a worse tear is made.”
Matthew 9:16
Life has to change when cancer enters in. We cannot go back to the same ways of doing and being. Cancer compels us to look at our habits, our attitudes and our priorities. It calls us to reexamine and reassess what we’ve always held to be true. Cancer itself changes us. Its very intrusion into our lives forces us to think of the present and the future differently. It presents us with opportunities to hold onto and embrace even more what is good in our lives. It presents us with opportunities to purge what is unhealthy and unfulfilling. We cannot go back to the old ways that do not work anymore. They simply weaken us and inhibit our healing and well-being. We need instead to reframe the way we live to include everything new that will build us up.
Changing is so hard most of the time and I resist it a lot. But God, you reach out to us to help change everything that hurts us and keeps us from being who you have made us to be. Help me to take your hand and follow where you want me to go. Amen.
March 26
“Neither is new wine put into old wineskins; otherwise, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are destroyed; but new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”
Matthew 9:17
Even though significant change is hard for all of us, when we can accomplish it we will experience life in ways we never knew we could before. Change doesn’t always have to be bad. Even when it is difficult, being able to adapt to new ideas, new understandings and new habits that help us grow can be incredibly liberating for us. And that can be wonderfully healing. When cancer arrives we cannot go back to the way things used to be. We shouldn’t want to - especially when the changes we make and embrace bring us joys we never felt before, hope we never knew before and possibilities we never realized before. The positive changes we resolve to make will only make us stronger to face the challenges that come our way.
I do have to admit, dear God, that when I allow the blessings of change to wash over me I am a better and healthier person. I merely ask for help to remember that, so I won’t resist change when it is good for me, when it is the key to my renewed life. Amen.
March 27
No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
Matthew 6:24
If we want to live a joyous, gracious life we have to make a choice. We have to make a choice to put aside the things that keep us from finding lasting satisfaction. We have to instead find the things that nurture our souls. When we are unfulfilled we are not our strongest selves. But we are our best when we connect with the One who creates and loves us perfectly and completely. When we make that essential connection we gain incredible access to a healing spirit. That spirit offers us guidance. It opens us to eternal perspectives. It puts us on a path that we need to be on. When we choose God’s way - a way of more possibilities and answers than this world can ever give on its own - we can experience all the hope and healing power we need.
Dear God, when the world’s wisdom leads me in ways that still cause me to waver and doubt, I realize I need to seek another path. That path is the one you put before me. I know I need to make your way the primary path for this journey. I know that you’ll help me to do it. Amen.
March 28
In that day the Lord of hosts will be a garland of glory, and a diadem of beauty, to the remnant of his people;
Isaiah 28:5
Joy. Absolute joy is what God wants us to have. God wants us to feel the wonder of a life lived in peace and hope. God wants us to experience all the goodness we were created to enjoy. It is honor and celebration, blessing and love that God wants us to know. We have been made to reflect God’s grace and spirit here on this earth - a spirit of justice and wholeness, a spirit of serenity and compassion. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that intent when we are afraid, uncertain or in pain. Sometimes it seems impossible to conceive of how life can be a celebration when we are suffering or feel abandoned. But just when we are at our lowest, the reason for our creation is exactly what we need to recall. Again and again, we must remind ourselves of God’s desires for us. Those desires are for our good and not for our destruction.
Oh how quickly I waver when the days don’t appear to go the way I want. How quickly I complain and find nothing to celebrate. On those days I rob myself of joy. But on this day, today, O God, I want to experience joy again and I thank you because I know that’s what you want for me too. Amen.
March 29
...and a spirit of justice to the one who sits in judgment, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
Isaiah 28:6
A lot of people describe cancer as a battle. And for many of us it certainly seems like it is. One after another the enemies called pain, doubt, terror, loss, recurrence and distress rise up in an attempt to destroy us. But God sees the injustice in that. God knows what we are going through. And God wants something far greater for us, something much more. God under girds us for anything that attempts to weaken or defeat us. God offers us the tools to stand strongly and hopefully in the face of whatever cancer throws at us. God gives us the ability to not only withstand the onslaught, but also to help prevent the battle from raging within us in the first place. There is nothing this world can bring to us that God cannot overcome with something far better, something far more healing and complete. We need to rest assured of this power that God gives to us.
Dear God, I am not interested in fighting during the rest of my life here on earth. I’m interested in living joyfully and well, instead. Thank you for giving me the ability to rely on your strength to help me do just that. Amen.
Do not let the foreigner joined to the Lord say, “The Lord will surely separate me from his people”; and do not let the eunuch say, “I am just a dry tree.”
Isaiah 56:3
Don’t let anyone tell you that God ever abandons or leaves us to face our troubles all alone. Don’t ever listen to those who claim that God does not care or that God does not act to give us all that we need. God loves us so much, so much more than we can ever really begin to understand. God never separates from us. Yes, we can separate from God through our lack of trust and faith. But never will God pull back from offering us the grace, guidance, support and help that will save us from the ravages of disease and despair. God wants us to experience healing and relief. God wants us to know the joy of this life and world. God wants us to be welcomed into the eternal arms of love and peace. No matter what we are going through, we need to know that God is with us to show us the way of healing and release.
I often feel as if I am separated from you, O God. When things don’t go the way I hope or when I feel overwhelmed by my circumstances, I need to know without a doubt that you really are with me. Please help me to see that you care, especially when I forget. Amen.
March 24
For thus says the Lord: To the eunuchs who keep my sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, I will give, in my house and within my walls, a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.
Isaiah 56:4-5
It’s easy when our world seems to be crumbling around us to think that everything is working against us. It’s easy to fall into a trap of self-despair and disillusionment. And it’s hard to remember that we are not abandoned and left to fend for ourselves. But God reminds us - because we need constant reminding - that we are not abandoned. God reminds us that we will never be left to rise or fall all alone. We often get so discouraged that we forget the continuous promises of God, promises of security, comfort, compassion and help, especially in times of trouble. We are created as God’s own. And God will never leave us or forsake us - even when we may leave God. Even when we do, God is faithful and just. God loves us that much. This is important to remember when we feel unlovable and uncertain.
I need the constant reminder of your faithful love for me, O God. When I am down and in distress I really need to know how much you care and how much you are looking out for me. Show me again, today. Amen.
March 25
“No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak, for the patch pulls away from the cloak, and a worse tear is made.”
Matthew 9:16
Life has to change when cancer enters in. We cannot go back to the same ways of doing and being. Cancer compels us to look at our habits, our attitudes and our priorities. It calls us to reexamine and reassess what we’ve always held to be true. Cancer itself changes us. Its very intrusion into our lives forces us to think of the present and the future differently. It presents us with opportunities to hold onto and embrace even more what is good in our lives. It presents us with opportunities to purge what is unhealthy and unfulfilling. We cannot go back to the old ways that do not work anymore. They simply weaken us and inhibit our healing and well-being. We need instead to reframe the way we live to include everything new that will build us up.
Changing is so hard most of the time and I resist it a lot. But God, you reach out to us to help change everything that hurts us and keeps us from being who you have made us to be. Help me to take your hand and follow where you want me to go. Amen.
March 26
“Neither is new wine put into old wineskins; otherwise, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are destroyed; but new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”
Matthew 9:17
Even though significant change is hard for all of us, when we can accomplish it we will experience life in ways we never knew we could before. Change doesn’t always have to be bad. Even when it is difficult, being able to adapt to new ideas, new understandings and new habits that help us grow can be incredibly liberating for us. And that can be wonderfully healing. When cancer arrives we cannot go back to the way things used to be. We shouldn’t want to - especially when the changes we make and embrace bring us joys we never felt before, hope we never knew before and possibilities we never realized before. The positive changes we resolve to make will only make us stronger to face the challenges that come our way.
I do have to admit, dear God, that when I allow the blessings of change to wash over me I am a better and healthier person. I merely ask for help to remember that, so I won’t resist change when it is good for me, when it is the key to my renewed life. Amen.
March 27
No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
Matthew 6:24
If we want to live a joyous, gracious life we have to make a choice. We have to make a choice to put aside the things that keep us from finding lasting satisfaction. We have to instead find the things that nurture our souls. When we are unfulfilled we are not our strongest selves. But we are our best when we connect with the One who creates and loves us perfectly and completely. When we make that essential connection we gain incredible access to a healing spirit. That spirit offers us guidance. It opens us to eternal perspectives. It puts us on a path that we need to be on. When we choose God’s way - a way of more possibilities and answers than this world can ever give on its own - we can experience all the hope and healing power we need.
Dear God, when the world’s wisdom leads me in ways that still cause me to waver and doubt, I realize I need to seek another path. That path is the one you put before me. I know I need to make your way the primary path for this journey. I know that you’ll help me to do it. Amen.
March 28
In that day the Lord of hosts will be a garland of glory, and a diadem of beauty, to the remnant of his people;
Isaiah 28:5
Joy. Absolute joy is what God wants us to have. God wants us to feel the wonder of a life lived in peace and hope. God wants us to experience all the goodness we were created to enjoy. It is honor and celebration, blessing and love that God wants us to know. We have been made to reflect God’s grace and spirit here on this earth - a spirit of justice and wholeness, a spirit of serenity and compassion. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that intent when we are afraid, uncertain or in pain. Sometimes it seems impossible to conceive of how life can be a celebration when we are suffering or feel abandoned. But just when we are at our lowest, the reason for our creation is exactly what we need to recall. Again and again, we must remind ourselves of God’s desires for us. Those desires are for our good and not for our destruction.
Oh how quickly I waver when the days don’t appear to go the way I want. How quickly I complain and find nothing to celebrate. On those days I rob myself of joy. But on this day, today, O God, I want to experience joy again and I thank you because I know that’s what you want for me too. Amen.
March 29
...and a spirit of justice to the one who sits in judgment, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
Isaiah 28:6
A lot of people describe cancer as a battle. And for many of us it certainly seems like it is. One after another the enemies called pain, doubt, terror, loss, recurrence and distress rise up in an attempt to destroy us. But God sees the injustice in that. God knows what we are going through. And God wants something far greater for us, something much more. God under girds us for anything that attempts to weaken or defeat us. God offers us the tools to stand strongly and hopefully in the face of whatever cancer throws at us. God gives us the ability to not only withstand the onslaught, but also to help prevent the battle from raging within us in the first place. There is nothing this world can bring to us that God cannot overcome with something far better, something far more healing and complete. We need to rest assured of this power that God gives to us.
Dear God, I am not interested in fighting during the rest of my life here on earth. I’m interested in living joyfully and well, instead. Thank you for giving me the ability to rely on your strength to help me do just that. Amen.
Friday, March 15, 2013
Week of March 16 - 17
March 16
For I am longing to see you so that I may share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen you -
Romans 1:11
We are at our strongest and healthiest precisely when we develop an active spiritual life. When we faithfully look around, look within and look to God we can see wonders and signs that we have never seen or imagined before. When we make it a priority to look outside of ourselves, to begin recognizing a larger perspective beyond the world immediately around us, we grow in knowledge and faith. When we search deeply within to explore the depths of our own souls we gain understanding and purpose about who we are and why we are here. When we connect with God’s spirit we become equipped with an infinite power that opens our hearts and minds to answers never considered before. Our spiritual life connects us to divine help and direction, to the larger world around us and to our own hearts and minds. There is nothing stronger and better to gird ourselves with protection against the most devastating challenges in our lives.
Dear God, I know that I am strongest when I reach out to rely on you. I know that I am healthiest when I look within to find you there. I know that I am lifted beyond my challenges when I find the connection to your divine goodness. Help me to remember that I need to look to you every day. Amen.
March 17
- or rather so that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.
Romans 1:12
We all need people of faith around us. We all need others whose perspectives and actions are a witness to positive understandings, to higher ideals and to deeper truths. We need mentors and confidants who are willing to explore with us our most fearful concerns and vulnerabilities. We need others who are willing to listen to us and love us unconditionally, to support us through what is the biggest challenge of our lives. We need others who can remind us where we stand in God’s eyes - that we are loved, forgiven, valued and held in the palms of caring, comforting hands. We are extremely blessed when we find these people of faith who will walk faithfully with us on the journey. It is great encouragement to know that we are loved and are not alone.
Dear God, I value everyone in my life who shows me the power and strength of faith. Especially when my faith wavers - and it often does - I am encouraged by those you send me who lift me up and help me through the hardest moments I have. Amen.
March 18
"... but those who listen to me will be secure and will live at ease, without dread of disaster." Proverbs 1:33
In a world of constant distraction, where it is seldom quiet and where we are often too busy to look above and within, we are missing something essential - the voice of God. We miss the voice whispering what is the way and the truth we need to find a renewed and healthy life. Our deepest fears grow constantly stronger when we think we have no help or no hope. But God never stops offering help or hope. It is we who do not quiet ourselves enough to listen to God, to God who only wants what is best and right for us. Our minds are able to create infinitely disastrous scenarios of what bad things might happen in the days ahead. But God calms those fears and dispels the horrors that emerge when we are left to our own devices. It is essential that we make time to hear what God is saying to us. It is our hope. It is our strength. It is our life.
Listening to your still, small voice is the greatest blessing my soul can receive, O God. Yet I don’t listen enough. Help me to quiet myself long enough today to hear you loudly and clearly. It’s exactly what I need. Amen.
March 19
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. Proverbs 3:5
There is little in this life that we can accomplish just on our own. All of us need others to teach us, encourage us, support us, guide us, counsel us and bear witness to us of more abundant ways of living. While we are each created as individuals with individual needs, abilities and responsibilities, none of us can achieve much of anything all alone. God places others in our lives to accompany us on the way. God works through them to show us what is best and what is right. With cancer, we especially need these people God gives to us. As wise as each of us may be, we all still need others to be our support and stay. They are examples of God’s love right before our eyes. We need to recognize them in our midst. We need the blessings they offer us, every day. In my stubbornness, I don’t always accept the help that’s offered to me. In my blindness I don’t always recognize the hope when it’s here. So, I ask you today, dear God, to give me wisdom to accept and eyes to see what is best for me. Amen.
March 20
... for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught. Proverbs 3:26
When we worry that we cannot get through everything cancer throws at us we need to be reminded that we don’t have to get through it all alone. When we fear our all too common limitations and despair in our all too many weaknesses we tend to think that our hope is lost and our possibilities for healing are gone. We lose our confidence too easily. That’s because we forget that God is involved in our healing too. We forget that God takes an active and leading role in our well-being. But this is news we must always remember. Over and over again, we need to recall that God continuously promises us help and guidance. We need to constantly recount what God has already done for us and others to bring blessing and peace. Nothing the world throws at us can ultimately defeat us when we remember God’s presence and help - and rely on it every day.
Healing God, rescuing God, on most days my memories of your involvement in meeting my deepest needs are long and grateful. But on those days when I’m slow to remember and quick to forget I get discouraged. So my prayer today is to remember again and celebrate all that you do for me. When I do I feel so much better. Amen.
March 21
Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep.
Romans 13:11a
Cancer is a call to action. It calls us to take control of the things we can change in our lives. It is a call to recognize the things that cannot change and a challenge to us to develop new ways of reacting to them. It is a call to discover where we can create healthier attitudes and eliminate destructive choices. Cancer compels us to take a good, long, hard look at ourselves and our lives. It causes us to reflect on what we’ve been missing and to decide how we can reclaim what’s been left out. It causes us to make new priorities and move beyond everything that keeps us from living fully, gratefully and joyfully. Cancer wakes us up. We have the choice to see that wake-up call as a burden or a blessing. When we chose the blessing and grasp on to it we are stronger in countless ways.
You are a God of action.You find ways, even in our distress, to teach us how we can live more abundantly. hank you for helping me to recognize where I am asleep to the wonders of your creation and the blessings in my life. Amen.
March 22
The God of peace be with all of you. Amen.
Romans 15:33
This benediction reminds us of what God wants each of us to possess - serenity, security and stability in every nuance of our lives. This expression of blessing is a statement of God’s desire to give each of us true well-being and satisfaction. God wants nothing more than for us to know the joys, wonders, grace and beauty for which we have all been created.
God wants us to enjoy a glimpse of eternity beginning now and continuing fully, forever. "Amen" literally means, "So be it." We are offered this promise, this possibility, because God wants it to be so for us. We are loved and valued that much. When we understand this tremendous divine desire for us, it can give an assurance to our spirits and souls that our healing is exactly what God wants us to have. God wants nothing less than for us to find the completeness and peace that healing of our hearts, minds and bodies brings.
I claim your desires for my healing today, O God. I reach out to take hold of your loving hands that are offering to me perfect peace. So be it. Amen.
For I am longing to see you so that I may share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen you -
Romans 1:11
We are at our strongest and healthiest precisely when we develop an active spiritual life. When we faithfully look around, look within and look to God we can see wonders and signs that we have never seen or imagined before. When we make it a priority to look outside of ourselves, to begin recognizing a larger perspective beyond the world immediately around us, we grow in knowledge and faith. When we search deeply within to explore the depths of our own souls we gain understanding and purpose about who we are and why we are here. When we connect with God’s spirit we become equipped with an infinite power that opens our hearts and minds to answers never considered before. Our spiritual life connects us to divine help and direction, to the larger world around us and to our own hearts and minds. There is nothing stronger and better to gird ourselves with protection against the most devastating challenges in our lives.
Dear God, I know that I am strongest when I reach out to rely on you. I know that I am healthiest when I look within to find you there. I know that I am lifted beyond my challenges when I find the connection to your divine goodness. Help me to remember that I need to look to you every day. Amen.
March 17
- or rather so that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.
Romans 1:12
We all need people of faith around us. We all need others whose perspectives and actions are a witness to positive understandings, to higher ideals and to deeper truths. We need mentors and confidants who are willing to explore with us our most fearful concerns and vulnerabilities. We need others who are willing to listen to us and love us unconditionally, to support us through what is the biggest challenge of our lives. We need others who can remind us where we stand in God’s eyes - that we are loved, forgiven, valued and held in the palms of caring, comforting hands. We are extremely blessed when we find these people of faith who will walk faithfully with us on the journey. It is great encouragement to know that we are loved and are not alone.
Dear God, I value everyone in my life who shows me the power and strength of faith. Especially when my faith wavers - and it often does - I am encouraged by those you send me who lift me up and help me through the hardest moments I have. Amen.
March 18
"... but those who listen to me will be secure and will live at ease, without dread of disaster." Proverbs 1:33
In a world of constant distraction, where it is seldom quiet and where we are often too busy to look above and within, we are missing something essential - the voice of God. We miss the voice whispering what is the way and the truth we need to find a renewed and healthy life. Our deepest fears grow constantly stronger when we think we have no help or no hope. But God never stops offering help or hope. It is we who do not quiet ourselves enough to listen to God, to God who only wants what is best and right for us. Our minds are able to create infinitely disastrous scenarios of what bad things might happen in the days ahead. But God calms those fears and dispels the horrors that emerge when we are left to our own devices. It is essential that we make time to hear what God is saying to us. It is our hope. It is our strength. It is our life.
Listening to your still, small voice is the greatest blessing my soul can receive, O God. Yet I don’t listen enough. Help me to quiet myself long enough today to hear you loudly and clearly. It’s exactly what I need. Amen.
March 19
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. Proverbs 3:5
There is little in this life that we can accomplish just on our own. All of us need others to teach us, encourage us, support us, guide us, counsel us and bear witness to us of more abundant ways of living. While we are each created as individuals with individual needs, abilities and responsibilities, none of us can achieve much of anything all alone. God places others in our lives to accompany us on the way. God works through them to show us what is best and what is right. With cancer, we especially need these people God gives to us. As wise as each of us may be, we all still need others to be our support and stay. They are examples of God’s love right before our eyes. We need to recognize them in our midst. We need the blessings they offer us, every day. In my stubbornness, I don’t always accept the help that’s offered to me. In my blindness I don’t always recognize the hope when it’s here. So, I ask you today, dear God, to give me wisdom to accept and eyes to see what is best for me. Amen.
March 20
... for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught. Proverbs 3:26
When we worry that we cannot get through everything cancer throws at us we need to be reminded that we don’t have to get through it all alone. When we fear our all too common limitations and despair in our all too many weaknesses we tend to think that our hope is lost and our possibilities for healing are gone. We lose our confidence too easily. That’s because we forget that God is involved in our healing too. We forget that God takes an active and leading role in our well-being. But this is news we must always remember. Over and over again, we need to recall that God continuously promises us help and guidance. We need to constantly recount what God has already done for us and others to bring blessing and peace. Nothing the world throws at us can ultimately defeat us when we remember God’s presence and help - and rely on it every day.
Healing God, rescuing God, on most days my memories of your involvement in meeting my deepest needs are long and grateful. But on those days when I’m slow to remember and quick to forget I get discouraged. So my prayer today is to remember again and celebrate all that you do for me. When I do I feel so much better. Amen.
March 21
Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep.
Romans 13:11a
Cancer is a call to action. It calls us to take control of the things we can change in our lives. It is a call to recognize the things that cannot change and a challenge to us to develop new ways of reacting to them. It is a call to discover where we can create healthier attitudes and eliminate destructive choices. Cancer compels us to take a good, long, hard look at ourselves and our lives. It causes us to reflect on what we’ve been missing and to decide how we can reclaim what’s been left out. It causes us to make new priorities and move beyond everything that keeps us from living fully, gratefully and joyfully. Cancer wakes us up. We have the choice to see that wake-up call as a burden or a blessing. When we chose the blessing and grasp on to it we are stronger in countless ways.
You are a God of action.You find ways, even in our distress, to teach us how we can live more abundantly. hank you for helping me to recognize where I am asleep to the wonders of your creation and the blessings in my life. Amen.
March 22
The God of peace be with all of you. Amen.
Romans 15:33
This benediction reminds us of what God wants each of us to possess - serenity, security and stability in every nuance of our lives. This expression of blessing is a statement of God’s desire to give each of us true well-being and satisfaction. God wants nothing more than for us to know the joys, wonders, grace and beauty for which we have all been created.
God wants us to enjoy a glimpse of eternity beginning now and continuing fully, forever. "Amen" literally means, "So be it." We are offered this promise, this possibility, because God wants it to be so for us. We are loved and valued that much. When we understand this tremendous divine desire for us, it can give an assurance to our spirits and souls that our healing is exactly what God wants us to have. God wants nothing less than for us to find the completeness and peace that healing of our hearts, minds and bodies brings.
I claim your desires for my healing today, O God. I reach out to take hold of your loving hands that are offering to me perfect peace. So be it. Amen.
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