Yesterday, Sept. 29th I finished my fifth round of chemotherapy. I am always glad to complete the weeks when treatment is administered, but then must prepare for the next period where while the medications are attacking the cancer cells, they are also attacking other types of cells in the body which can result in a whole host of unpleasant symptoms or possible complications. I am grateful for the medical advancements made during recent years which have provided better management of nausau, hiccups, cramping,, fatigue, infection, discomfort, etc. I find it to be very helpful to focus on optimal thinking, which is knowing and facing the reality of any circumstance while factoring in God, faith, prayer, hope, Biblical solutions and practices, Biblically-focused attitudes and thinking (things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report with virtue and praise - we are told to continue to think on these things (Phil. 4:8). It is so important because as a man THINKS IN HIS HEART, SO IS HE (Prov. 23:7). Letting Christ live and flow in/through you is critical to this process, especially when the struggles or problems are the greatest or the circumstances the hardest because when our strength is ending His is only beginning. Praise is always the ingredient for finding access to and filling of God's presence because God promises that "He inhabits the praises of His people" (Psm. 22:3). The Hebrew word for inhabits in that verse has the idea of remaining, abiding, dwelling or staying put in a mindset of praise and gratitude. Focusing on the roses instead of concentrating on the prickly thorns helps lift the heart instead of further weighing it down. Once when I was complaining to an insurance representative about escalating costs of the church's health care premiums, he mentioned that years ago when Drs. preformed a surgery they would put a piece of rawhide in the patient's mouth, pour some preparation on the wound and proceed to cut while the patient was fully awake. He suggested that if we returned to that state of practice, costs would decrease dramatically and become quite cheap. He then mentioned some of the advances made in recent years in modern medicine including diagnostics (CAT, PET, SPECT scans, MRIs etc.), treatments (laproscopic, micro, computer assisted surgeries, delicate and intricate arterial catherization procedures, etc.), state-of-the-art hospital facilities and treatment centers, well-trained Drs. in numerous specialities and sub-specialities with ever-increasing knowledge and expertise), the proliferation of specialized drugs and procedures to control and cure diseases and infections as well as manage pain and suffering, and the ongoing research which offers such hope for future successful treatments to improve both the quality and length of our lives. After saying that, he asked if I would like to go back to the rawhide or have the benefits of modern medicine and then added, "If so we will have to pay for it and all of these things are expensive." Believe me I have thought about his words during my diagnosis and treatments and am glad we are where we are today. It makes it so much easier to look at some of the roses instead of the thorns and focus on an attitude of gratitude and praise.
Recently I have been reading the book of 2 Corninthians with great profit both as a source of encouragement and understanding. Though I have read/studied it many times - God has provided so many fresh insights as I have studied it in the light of my current circumstances. God's word is like mining for gold. The greater we dig, the greater the find of the richness of the ore. The truths of God are like the multi-facets of a diamond with a reflection and application for every situation in our lives. How gracious God is to bring them into our lives at the times we need them most and reveal them in such a meaningful way. Paul said to follow him as he followed Christ and added that the same comfort we find in/through the Lord, God passes on through us by enabling us to pass it on to others. it includes human example, experience, understanding, empathy, sympathy, guidance and strength as the ingredients of genuine comfort from God (1 Cor. 4:16; 2 Cor. 1:4).
Pastor Tim will be preaching tomorrow morning and Pastor Ed the next week. Lord willing, I'll I will be preaching the following week and have the privilege of delivering the final message of the two I began last Sunday on Paul's Principal Mindset and Paul's Mindset Principles.
How about this, Barb mentioned that when I'm finished with my chemo, maybe I should keep my hair (or lack thereof) the way it is! See God does work in mysterious ways.
Mel Brown