Saturday, July 21, 2012

Chapter 6 Mystery

                    Pass the Chocolate--Pass the Tissues
                    Let's Talk about our Deeper Issues

   In reviewing the learnings we have received from cancer we cannot bypass what we have learned about death.  We agree that death is a certainty but until now most of us believed that it was something that happens to someone else--not us.  Facing our own mortality is an opportunity cancer gives us.  We are forced to face a greater pain than even our physical ailments.  We are forced to resolve for ourself the issues of life and death.

   We may discover with cancer that our faith which we thought until now was strong is indeed weak and our trust in God was shallow.  Cancer demands more of us than the mouthings of faith.  Cancer gives us the opportunity to learn how strong our faith really is.  We learn to let go of a faith that is effort and will on our part and turn to a faith that is surrender.  We learn to affirm the redemptive value of suffering, how being wounded brings about healing.

   Time and again with cancer we realize our loss of control.  All of us want to believe we are in charge, that by will and determination we will not only survive but conquer.  But in order to maintain control we must have answers and with cancer there are no answers.  Why Me?  What is Death?  Is life only random?  Does nothing explain the unexplainable? It is a great mystery.

   We affirm the ultimate, the highest we can know is that we do not know.  St Augustine said, "If you understand it, it isn't God" but we find serenity in asking and the questions deepen.

   With cancer we realize there is no time left for superficial spirituality.  There is no time for greed, avarice, selfishness, competitiveness or pride.  There is only time to see life as it really is--so precious--so lovely.  We learn that we are never more alive than when we are looking death in the face.

   Our focus for this study has been more about renewal than recovery.  We will never be well in the same sense again.  But we may be better.  As well as learning our methods of coping--as well as finding our emotional strengths we can learn about our spirituality.  There is no need to fear.

   Joan Chittister said, "All of life is meant to teach us something--to give us opportunities to be better, stronger.  Not miracles but strength and courage--insight and hope--vision and endurance.

            

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