Tag Archives: Standing firm in the face of cancer

One Page At A Time

Are you ever tempted to turn to the back of a book to see how it ends?

I am. I want to see the trailer and read the synopsis, before I watch the movie. It fits in with how I am wired to think. I tend to grasp details better when I have the big picture in mind. I generally see the trees (and the leaves, and bark and insects) after I get a glimpse of the whole forest. But in life, we can’t skip to the end of our story.

We simply have to live our story one page at a time.

That probably is a good thing. Sometimes, knowing the end may discourage us from pursuing the path before us. You’ve heard it said that we should live each day as if it were our last. The problem is if we all did that, we probably would never do dishes or pay the bills or other things that need to be done!

But sometimes, knowing that things will end well actually carries us through the tough times. (We know the headlines at the end of the bible tell us, “God Wins!”) But no matter how rich your faith account is, there are tough days. Today, my mind, my spirit, and my body are at odds with one another about this cancer. Physically, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually, each day presents its own battle.

A wise man once said we need to put on our armor each day, not just so we can fight, but to be able to still stand at the end of the day. Some chapters of our lives are about climbing grand mountains, discovering great treasures, or winning victorious battles. Other pages of our life story are simply about standing firm in the midst of the battle that is still raging around you…and at the end of the day to remain standing.

What does this page of your life look like? And what “armor” do you put on each day that allows you to stand firm in the midst of daily battle?

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” Ephesians 6:13