Today’s scripture: Philippians 1:19-26 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Ben Lamb):
My friend Joe had a sore throat whose discomfort cleared up after a while, but the raspy voice part remained. It was barely noticeable, so he wasn’t concerned. In time, though, it grew to be so prominent that he decided to have the cause checked out.
Joe and his wife were devastated to learn that he had vocal cord cancer and needed prompt surgical intervention. He wasn’t a typical candidate for this type of illness. He didn’t smoke, use alcohol in excess, and his health was otherwise excellent.
Everyone at church liked and appreciated Joe. He was the type of person who could look at any less-than-wonderful situation and put a positive spin on it. This time was no different.
He was told before surgery what the range of outcomes could be. The cancer might be confined to just one vocal cord and the dangerous nodule(s) could be removed without any loss of speech. The worst case would be that it had spread extensively and would be nearly impossible to survive. His impending operation would let all the facts be known.
Joe exhibited an extraordinary amount of calmness and serenity about the upcoming surgery. At first, I thought he was in denial, but kept that opinion to myself — a move which saved me from much embarrassment later!
A few days before his surgery, I was giving Joe my sincere wishes for a best-case-scenario outcome. He shared with me his own perception of the matter. “Naturally, I do hope for the best-case-scenario outcome. But, either way, it’s a win/win situation for me. If I live, I get to serve God on earth. If I die, I get to serve God in heaven.” Instantly, I understood the true source of Joe’s calmness.
Things turned out for Joe the way that we all had hoped and prayed. Even though he has a tiny bit of permanent raspiness in his voice, he is now cancer-free.
Seeing Joe go through his ordeal in the way that he did has helped me to understand and comprehend today’s scripture in a more personal and meaningful way.
Thought for the day: You can live for God anywhere. . . on earth or in heaven.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.