Sunday, January 01, 2006

In Every Thing Give Thanks

The Bible tells us that we must give thanks “in every thing” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). There is a wonderful story in the book, "The Hiding Place", where two sisters in a concentration camp learn to give thanks for the fleas that tormented them in their bunk. It turned out that the fleas kept the guards from searching their room, where they had smuggled in a Bible. So there was at least that reason to give thanks.

I'm actually thankful that we don't have fleas! But learning to give thanks "in every thing" means I have to learn to give thanks even for the cancer that is devastating me and my family right now. Okay, so what about brain cancer can we be thankful for? Here's a little list:

1. It looks like it's one cancer where I get to keep my boobs!
2. If I lose my hair during treatment, I can get a wig. My hair is really long right now, and as I sat FOREVER under my hair dryer today, I thought how much easier it would be to just plop some hair on my head and go!
3. And speaking of losing hair, maybe that means I won't have to shave my legs???
4. I've heard that some people lose weight while on chemotherapy. (Sure, it's because they are throwing up all the time, but hey - whatever brings that scale down isn't all bad!)
5. It's the ultimate excuse to get out of anything I want to say "no" to.
6. Everyone wants me to go to Disneyworld with my family.
7. It is a great motivator to do a lot of meaningful things with my life. Soon.
8. It has been an opportunity to say - and hear - "I love you" a lot when I talk to family members.
9. I can totally milk it to get the thermostat the way I want it, the pillow I want, and the remote control from my husband (a.k.a. Prince Charming).
10. I'm no longer anxious to get pregnant!

So, there you go. Just a couple of things off the top of my head. Maybe a little "TMI" (too much information) for some of my blog readers. But hey - gratitude is gratitude. If we can learn to give thanks in all things, we can find reasons to be happy in any circumstance.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Krista -

Just today I copied these words, from the infrequently-sung hymn "God Moves in a Mysterious Way", into my cancer journal:

Ye fearful Saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.

I love that image, of dark and dreaded clouds, actually big with mercy and blessings. Adversity, like rain, is a necessary part of life.

You are right that you can find things to be grateful for in the cancer experience. (Keeping my boobs was unfortunately not on my list, but not having to shave my legs was wonderful.) I met people I would never have met otherwise who have touched my life, and I learned a lot about the people already in my life, and about myself.

You are constantly in my prayers.