Thursday, January 17, 2008

Our Lives Are in His Hands

Today, my body is weak after five days of chemotherapy. I am moving slowly. My thought processes have been depressed. I find my mind wandering easily – to no place in particular. There is more nausea than in the past. Tears are coming easily – even without watching Hallmark commercials!

But there is a song in my heart. How can I keep from singing? I am leaning on the everlasting arms . . .

Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.

A bit of hymn history: The author of this song based his text on Deuteronomy 33:27a, The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. This hymn reminds us that we have the assurance of God's steadfast care and guidance in every circumstance of life. No matter how difficult things may be today, we can find love and rest in God's everlasting arms.

The last five days at Lehigh Valley Hospital went by quickly. My wife was able to stay at the home of a Christian couple with links to our area. The nurses and doctors were great. The food became less desirable as each day passed! It was nice to come home yesterday. I really missed my three children.

I did not read and write as much as I had wanted to. I had difficulty concentrating, felt nauseous, and dozed off frequently. But I did learn a few things . . .

But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in Your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me. Psalm 31:14-15.

You do not get to choose your time, your time chooses you. You are where and who you are for a reason. John Ortberg.

Your greatest potential to reflect the love of God may be in your present circumstances. Andy Stanley

God wants to use your life as a display case for a while. He wants your life to be a setting where He can display His grace for all to see. Joni Tada

God is sovereign and our lives are in His hands. We - my family and I - did not choose to have cancer. But God allowed it to happen. And there is a reason. We know that God is in control. And we know that part of His plan – perhaps the greatest part of His plan – for these circumstances is to display His grace. We may have no greater opportunity to reflect the love of God than we do right now in these circumstances. It is our prayer that God will allow others to see, in the midst our circumstances, that His grace is sufficient – that He alone is worthy of our adoration and praise.

1 comment:

Bev. W. said...

Thanks for posting the verses especially. We are going thru' similar circumstances w/ my husband being diagnosed on Aug. 21st w/ metastasized melanoma and it is in most of his vital organs already. Our son is a freshman too....He's at BBC and trying to call daily and come home every other weekend for now. Things seem to be moving quite quickly in a downward spiral....We pray for healing but realize that is usually not God's intent w/ cancer cases of this type....even tho' w/ God it is still possible. We have 4 other children. Thanks again...we will be praying for you and your family too.