Written in Iron Ink: Cancer, waiting, and a God who tends
Cancer is everywhere.
I’m no longer surprised by the growing list of those fighting cancer in our church bulletins, in our personal prayers, and in our neighborhoods and families.
Satan likes to destroy and if he can do something easily, he’ll take that route.
The good news is that cancer only destroys the body. It feels like it destroys the spirit, but time and again I have seen individuals I love stand up and fight it and proclaim the victory of Christ in it.
I am in awe. I am in awe of a God who works hope when life seems to be falling apart and I am in awe of the individuals who cling to Him in the dark moments, as well as the light.
In my recent podcast visit with Rev. John and Sharla Fritz we talked a lot about Waiting, because that’s the title of her latest book, but also because it is the earthly reality of life with cancer.
There are lots of gems of insights from the Fritz’s, but my favorite is their awareness of today. Cancer reminds you that each of us is only promised today, and while it is very imperfect, that day is a tremendous gift.
“Tending to the tender mercies of today.”
This day, right in front of us.
Cancer may feel like it’s winning, this day.
Life may feel overwhelming, this day.
The road may seems so long, or way too short, this day.
The waiting may be unbearable – waiting for a diagnosis, waiting for treatment options, waiting to see if the treatment options worked, waiting to see if it’s in remission, waiting to see if it comes back, waiting to hear how your loved one is doing, waiting, waiting, and more waiting…this day.
But God is tending in the waiting. He tends to us. He tends to our spouse, our children, our loved ones. He tends to today and He tends to eternity.
The body of Christ is there to tend to one another. This life is so momentary. Cancer makes us intensely aware of that, but…
this momentary life is lived in His hands, and best lived together.
God works His testimony in even this, in cancer. He works to shine the hope and light of Christ through our body’s imperfections and weaknesses. He shines so very bright.
He also gives us one another in the wait and I have rarely seen God shine brighter than in tending to one another.
I pray that however you have been touched by cancer, this resource and the other resources listed below will be used by God to tend.