O the brevity of life!

Someone once said that if one is diagnosed with cancer, it is like one is given a death sentence. Is it true? There is the worry that after going through the whole regiment of medical treatment, the cancer cells may be lurking somewhere in the body, waiting to strike you again, just when you think the worst if over.

But I have been thinking about this and this thought keeps recurring in my mind. All of us, even those of us who are healthy, do not know if we will still be alive tomorrow. Any accident can occur any time and at any place and one's life on earth is over and one has to meet His Maker, whether one is ready or not.

Ecclesiastes 12:6,7 says : Remember God - before the silver cord is severed or the golden bowl is broken; before the pitcher is shattered at the spring, or the wheel broken at the well and the dust returns to the ground it came from and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

This passage has a special place in my heart. A few years ago, I was talking to a 80-year old Indian man at a dinner function and he told me that his prayer to God in his old age is that God will not mind if he forgets about God and just leisurely pursue some hobbies. That night, God turned my attention to the above passage and I was struck by God's answer to what that man said. God says,"No, you shall not forget about me in your old age. In fact, as your life winds down, you must REMEMBER ME because you are going to return to me." I wrote out this passage and gave it to that old gentleman the next morning and he was so awed by God's answer.

A close friend of mine has been diagnosed with breast cancer a few months ago and has gone through a mastectomy to remove the affected breast. Then she was given chemotherapy. Two days later, she suddenly felt dizzy and became unconscious. An ambulance was called to take her to the hospital. The doctors said that she had a very rare reaction to one of the drugs given in the chemotherapy. After 20 hours, she regained consciousness and she is ever so thankful to God for giving her a second chance to live. I just spoke to her on the phone and she told me that we must appreciate that we are alive today. She has discovered that focusing on the fact that her life is in God's hand helps her to cope with her fears, anxieties and depression. Here is a fine example of a dear sister choosing to trust God with her life and refusing to be overwhelmed with fears and depression during this time of sickness. She has decided to be thankful to God for the life she now has and is glad that God has strenghtened her to be able to serve her family again.

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.Ecclesiastes 9:10