Thanksgiving

So, at church today the Pastor started his sermon by asking what we are thankful for. I did not know if he really wanted an answer or was just using the question to get us thinking. Anyway, I did not say anything because my answer would have needed a bit of explanation. The most significant thing in 2020 to be thankful for is my Cancers. I don’t mean that because they have been found and treated, although that is a good thing because if they had not been discovered they would have continued their rapid progression and led to an early and painful death. No, I mean that having them and the lessons I have learned and experienced is what I am most thankful for. Now I realize that with surgery, radiation treatment, hormone therapy, daily medication, and a future full of doctor visits and blood tests my cancers are more manageable then some others. Still, I had significant cancer tumors in two locations, and it is life altering and shortening. So, what is to be thankful for. First, while Karen and I have loved and appreciated each other very much, this reminder that our time together is finite has added a new dimension of intimacy, companionship, appreciation, and enjoyment of each other. Rather than moping around because our time will be shorter than we expected, we are grabbing each day and opportunity and using it to its fullest. It has been and is, really good. Secondly, I have experienced and appreciated God in new ways. Bible passages and hymn stanzas about our hope in death have taken on new meaning as I have been reminded of my mortality by the cancers. Comfort, purpose, and a sense of stewardship of my days are lessons I am learning. At the beginning of 2020 I wondered what new ways I could serve God. I never imagined that it would be as a cancer survivor, but it has been really interesting. I have been blessed to see how my experiences are being used by God to challenge and comfort others.