“How beautiful upon
the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace,
who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your
God reigns.” Isaiah 52:7
Robin Roberts, a beloved face of Good Morning America, is
watched closely by those living with various blood cancers. In order to combat myelodysplastic
syndrome (MDS), she chose an aggressive therapy—an allogeneic bone marrow
transplant—for reasons that I can fully understand and relate to, having chosen
a similar protocol for myself, not once, but twice now. It is, according to
most doctors, the only shot at a cure for those with multiple myeloma. And
while that cure is not very high at only 20% (I believe it is significantly
higher for Roberts’ cancer), it is, as a dear friend from Australia once wrote
to me, “still a glass with something in it!” I recently googled Robin Roberts
to see how she was doing, as I had heard she caught a virus this spring while
travelling, when I came across a very inspiring quote. She said that she doesn’t
have a desire to just be done with her treatment and put it all behind her.
Instead, she says, “I feel now more than ever that my life has purpose. I think
that I am being used for light and love and resilience. For whatever reason, I’m
able to touch people, and I’m so grateful for that.”
For whatever reason, Roberts has chosen to embrace her new
normal and to use it as a means of blessing others. She has chosen to be the
victor and not the victim. I find myself feeling victimized when I start
thinking too much about myself and not enough about others. I find myself a
victim when I dwell too much on an uncertain future and not enough on the beautiful
present. I find I have a victim mentality when I ignore the Word and try to get
through the day on my own strength. As the missionary Amy Carmichael once
wrote, whatever our need, there is always a word to comfort us in the Bible—always!
Our hearts will be lifted so we can lift the hearts of others. They are not
lifted just so that we can be comforted ourselves, although we will be. But our
hearts will be lifted so that we have something special—comfort, peace, or joy—to give away. Our God knows what we need;
He has an answer to every request and a promise for every situation. But most
amazingly, He knows that our greatest need is still to be used by Him, and He
promises to still do that in the midst of our trials, just as Robin Roberts is
discovering. Our lives, too, can be used for light and love and resilience if
we will shake off the mentality of victimization and ask God to use our lives
for His purpose.
Thank You, dear Lord,
for using so many wise people to remind me of the truth that I need You now
more than ever. I need all Your promises to never leave me, to always work for
my good, to always be with me in the storm and never to forsake me, more than
ever or I will become a victim to my disease. Use me now, and let my life have
the good purpose that You intend for it to have. In the name of Your Son, Jesus
Christ I pray, Amen.
