A Mother’s Day Message of Hope

Day 20

Giving Thanks in All Things

I was lying on the table, trembling. In the months since learning I had breast cancer, I had been poked and prodded more than I thought possible. It was caught early, but still involved many biopsies, treatments, radiation, disruptions to my schedule, and quite a bit of fear. Not so much a fear of dying, but of pain. I am a wimp when it comes to pain and needles. And now pain and needles seemed like an everyday occurrence. Then a routine OB/GYN visit discovered something abnormal. Great. Just great. So there I was on the table, needing another painful biopsy, grappling with fear.

Suddenly the Scripture from my morning devotional came to mind. First Thessalonians 5:16-18 says to give thanks in all circumstances. Which meant I needed to give thanks for this. It completely took me aback as I was waiting for the doctor to walk in. I realized there were actually things to be thankful for.

I had been focused on the pain of the test, but I began telling God, Thank you, God, that this test even exists! Thank You for the medical community’s skill in stopping small problems from becoming big ones. Thanks for being with me. Thanks for drawing me closer to You rather than farther away.

I realized that in challenging times, we usually focus on all the things to not give thanks for, but we can make a conscious choice to turn worry into worship. We can choose to say, yes, the enemy meant this for evil, but God can turn it to good. And one of the greatest “goods” is the precious opportunity to see God come close.

Not long ago, a pastor asked how my health was doing. He said his brother had cancer too – a very serious type. His brother had recently said he was grateful for this time in his life. Shocked, the pastor exclaimed, “But you could die!”

His brother responded, “Sure. But because of going through this, I have seen Jesus so clearly and so closely. I honestly don’t know that I would change it.”

Something miraculous happens when we choose to give thanks in all things. We suddenly see a bigger picture, and it feeds our hope. Even though it’s something we wouldn’t have chosen going in, I agree with that pastor’s brother. I’m not sure I would change a thing.