“If you have any
encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if
any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my
joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit
and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in
humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not
only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
Philippians 2: 1—4
One of the greatest heartaches when someone is diagnosed
with cancer is the illusion (and it IS an illusion—nobody knows the future!) that
he will never accomplish all of his goals in this lifetime. Our diagnosis is
such a call to action, such an urgent appeal to our ego to get moving! It can
make us mourn dreams that we never would have acted on even if we had NOT had
cancer; everything becomes more important simply because now we may never have
the opportunity to do it. I, for example, never liked to run before my cancer
destroyed the vertebrae in my spine, but sometimes I find myself mourning the
fact that I will never jog again, when I know full well that I WOULDN’T ever go
jogging even if I COULD. It is that forbidden or impossible-to-reach fruit that
looks most delicious. Instead of mourning what I cannot do, I am trying to imitate
an amazing woman who could neither hear, nor see, nor speak. Like most of us,
Helen Keller admitted that she longed to accomplish “great and noble” tasks in
this lifetime. “But,” she added, “it is my chief duty and joy to accomplish
humble tasks as though they were great and noble. It is my service to think how
can I best fulfill the demands that each day makes on me, and to rejoice that
others can do what I cannot.”
The more I read that quote, the more amazed I
am at her attitude and approach to life. She not only believed it was her
“duty”, but also her “joy” to treat every little task as something great and
noble. When our energy is compromised by chemotherapy or other treatments, we
might barely be able to get dressed, let alone pour a cup of coffee for someone
else, or hang up someone’s coat for them. But even those humble tasks can be
considered great and noble if we perform them with joy and a servant’s heart.
While recovering from my bone marrow transplants, I considered the day a
success if I crossed one simple item off my list, such as writing a thank-you
note to someone or ordering a gift online. Persevering in such small tasks gave
my life purpose and meaning for that day and greatly improved my attitude as I
took baby steps toward serving someone else.
What also strikes me as amazing
about Helen Keller’s quote is that she not only thought of ways to serve
others, but she rejoiced that others could do what she herself could not! I
should be rejoicing that others who love to jog are able to do so, instead of wallowing
in self-pity that I do not have the option. I should be rejoicing that others
have the energy to do so much for their families and friends, that they are
able to live such full lives. I should rejoice for them the way God rejoices
over my accomplishments and the things, however small, that I do for Him. Not
only is rejoicing in the accomplishments of others the RIGHT thing to do, but
it blesses me by infusing more joy into my own life. One of my favorite books
is Tommy Newberry’s 40 Days to a
Joy-Filled Life, and he states in a chapter about rejoicing in the success
of others: If you are secure in God’s
love, you know that he has a plan for you, and you are not threatened by
others’ talents or successes. Applaud what God is doing through others, because
whatever he accomplished in their lives, he can accomplish in yours also….One
of the best things we can do to overcome envy or jealousy is to pray for others
to be blessed in the way we desire to be blessed.
Dear Father, Help me
to shed all feelings of self-pity at what I cannot do. Whenever I think of what
I cannot do, remind me of what I am able to accomplish on this day, and help me
to rejoice in it. Thank You that I am able to serve my family in small ways,
and let me praise You while accomplishing humble tasks. Thank You for how You
have blessed those around me with good health, gifts, and talents, and remind
me to pray for them every day. I praise You for Your perfect wisdom and for
holding me close to You during my trials. Amen.
