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Very recently, a dear friend of mine named Seth found out he had cancer. Not just cancer, but CANCER. Very advanced Medullary Thyroid cancer that had spread to his neck, throat, and spine. He was told he would have to undergo a surgery that would take approximately 12 hours, with no guarantee of life on the turn-out. Literally, NONE. He is young, with two teenage boys and a beautiful wife, Charity, and they all love him VERY much. One day on social media with only a couple of weeks to go before the surgery was to take place, I saw Charity had posted something that will stay with me for the rest of my life here on this earth, and I'd like to share it with you:
"If you thought you only had two weeks to live what would you do? Go on that great vacation somewhere, quit your job, spend all the money you had, give your money to someone in need, ask someone for forgiveness, tell someone you forgive them, buy that amazing car, go on a mission trip, skydive, scuba dive, work, spend every moment you can with the ones you love soaking up every detail about them; the way they smile, laugh, cry, or look? Would you want to breathe every moment of them in and never forget it???
That is a question most of us may never have to answer but for Seth, that is a question, in reality, he is facing (the surgery is very serious with life-or-death outcome). I have caught My Love looking at me longer, holding me closer, touching me every time he passes or is near. When he hugs the boys or I he will breathe in very deeply and sigh. The other day as he was looking at me, I saw him out of the corner of my eye and I asked him,"Are you ok?" He asked the million dollar question: "If you thought you only had two weeks to live, what would you do?" I sighed and said, "This right here, I wouldn't change a thing!" He replied, "Me, too!" So for a week now we pray more together as a family, we hug more, we tell each other how proud we are of each other and that God brought us all together, we listen more intently to others, absorbing every moment. None of us are guaranteed another day on this earth, funny that something like cancer can magnify everything! He uses everything for His glory, everything. Satan doesn't even get sickness!!! God always knows what He is doing!
"Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which can never be shaken, never be moved. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people now and forever." Psalms 125:1-2
Even when bad things of this world come into our lives or try to have an effect on us, it CANNOT overshadow us!! We are all strong in the Lord! His mountains surround and protect us from storms so that we can rest!
So what would YOU do? I know what I'd do......nothing but be present at this moment, absorbing and breathing in all the Lord's glory of THIS day!"
WOW, right???? I'd like to think that if I was in Seth's or Charity's position, I'd react the same way, but who really knows?!? I DO know, however, that what holds true is that we should live in the moment, always remembering that we are not promised tomorrow, or to grow old and gray; to remember that sickness and death are allowed in order to bring faith. Does it always bring that faith? Of course not, sadly. But through others that are much like Seth, it at least brings awareness to how small we are and how much control we DON'T have. The faith - and even joy - comes when you realize that very fact.
So what would YOU do if you knew you only had two weeks to live? Turns out, Seth made it through the surgery with flying colors, cancer-free and a better man for it. But through his tragedy-to-triumph story, it helped grow my faith even stronger, and made me want to build a better legacy - the one I'm living and the one for those I leave behind.
Not one of us are immune - so live this life you're given to the fullest, and absorb every. single. moment.
"The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain." ~Dolly Parton
"He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends the rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." ~Matthew 5:45
"The tiniest seed knows that in order to grow, it needs to be dropped in dirt, covered in darkness, and struggle to reach the light." ~Anonymous
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