July 25, 2006

Smell is in the nose of the sniffer!

Bob called my brother last night to tell him about his CLL. I expected a negative response. My brother would be downcast, and he was. But he also offered ‘cancer cures’ that supposedly helped other people. He mentioned two that were for different types of cancer than leukemia, and both turned out to be controversial ‘alternative’ treatments.

I’m having strong reactions to those kinds of responses. It is not that we wouldn’t welcome a cure, but there is something about the motivation for seeking it that bothers me. We believe that God is in charge of everything that happens to us. When negative things (negative in our mind) come along, He has allowed or designed them for a purpose. We may not ever find out His exact intentions, but I’m convinced seeking His will comes first, not trying to ‘fix’ the problem
immediately. By doing that we might miss something far more important.

I’m encouraged by those who understand the will of God in this way, such as that article by John Piper mentioned a few days ago, “Don’t Waste Your Cancer.” We would waste it if we did not seek God’s reason for allowing it.

When we share our bad news and the listener immediately comes up with a fix-it, I learn a great deal about their world view. Most of them are ‘baby boomers,’ part of what is also called the ‘me-generation’ (as in ‘me first’). Personal comfort tops the priority list. Don’t even think about death, aging or even being stressed. Use lotions, potions, pills, spas, mud wraps, whatever it takes and whatever it costs to stay young and be as comfortable as possible.

I’m not against looking young or being comfortable, but the Bible teaches that life ends—so be ready, and life involves trouble—so trust the Lord. We have not had many people, Christian or otherwise, say anything like: “You are so fortunate to know that this life is not all there is, and you have a strong relationship with the Lord, and look forward to eternal life.” Most are either too dismayed to think of any response, or they fumble for a fix.

The cause of CLL is damaged DNA in the bone marrow where blood cells are produced. Even if chemotherapy destroys the faulty blood cells, it does not fix the DNA. That is why, at this point, this type of cancer does not have a cure. My husband could live 20 years with this, but life has no guarantees; something else could happen to him this week. “Fixing” everything is not the point. The point is being ready for life and for death—through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, walking with Him and seeking His will and His glory.

For today: “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?” (2 Corinthians 2:14-16, NKJV).

The Bible describes the responses of those exposed to a person who God is leading in a victorious Christian life. Some will smell Christ’s perfume and recognize the power of His life in them. Others will smell the flowers of a funeral wreath and think Christians are wasting their lives, particularly if we are not pursuing the latest cure claims and so-called fixes for what they perceive is the worst problem ever.

I’m still not sure how to respond to even the most well-meaning attempts to be helpful. So far, I tell them about the DNA, and about trusting the Lord. Those who are the most afraid of death don’t seem to hear it. They cannot face any of it (nor can we) without knowing the Giver of life, and their lack of faith makes me very sad.

No comments: