Giving Thanks

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you,” I Thess. 5:18. The Bible tells us to give thanks “in every thing”. Yes, even in mantle cell lymphoma am I to give thanks. God has a purpose in this situation that seems hopeless. Yes, even in your situation whatever it may be God wants you to give thanks.
While in the valleys of our lives we can truly get to know Jesus more. Sometimes in our so-called “normal” lives we are blinded to what really is important. When stricken with a serious illness it really doesn’t matter whether you have the latest fashions. Remodeling your home isn’t so important either. All that matters is that you or your loved one is healed.
Illness causes us to muse more than when our life was “normal”; hence, causing us to see so many others that have a far more critical situation than we have. We conclude that we don’t really have it so bad after all. That is one reason to give thanks.
Another reason to give thanks is that we live in America. Although we don’t have a perfect healthcare system, we have a great one. Some countries don’t even have sanitary hospitals or clinics much less the modern diagnostic equipment that we have. For the most part, we have health care professionals that genuinely care for the well-being of their patients.
Going through serious illness also gives us a chance to reflect on our lives and make any changes that we need to better serve our Lord. “And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried; they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people; and they shall say, The Lord is my God,” Zechariah 13:9. When silver or gold is heated up it becomes more pure or precious. When God allows the “fire” to refine his people they become more precious. Of course, becoming more precious or pure is for the purpose of being used more of God.
So we can thank God that HE will use us more for HIS glory. My husband and I’s desire is that people see Jesus in us while we are going through the valley of mantle cell lymphoma and when we are on the mountaintop once again. We shall come forth as gold if we allow God to use us.
Focusing on the greatness of God causes me to thank HIM for everything. There are so many other reasons to give thanks and I may be writing about some others in the future, but for now I just want to say “Thank God for mantle cell lymphoma”.