Your gift

This morning I was reading Emilie Barnes' book A Journey Through Cancer. She is a writer and speaker who had cancer. Her first chapter is titled "The Gift I Didn't Want To Open." Here is what she says. "I think we often feel that way about what the Lord sends into our lives-the gifts of our days, our circumstances, of the things that happen to us. They come to us all wrapped in mystery. Some look ugly and forbidding and terrifying. They're not the kind of thing we'd like to have in our lives at all, and we're certainly not eager to open them, even when our faith reminds us that God is in charge. Well, today I can state with full confidence that those days of my life, that came wrapped in illness, weakness, pain and fear also contained gifts of comfort and love and courage. They contained joys little and large, as well as the more sober but precious lessons that come from suffering. Best of all, every one of those fearful cancer-wrapped days turned out to be full of God-permeated by his presence. And ultimately, they contained the miracle of healing. The gift he most passionately wants to give us is the gift of himself. Whatever the gift life has left on your doorstep, no matter how ugly the package, I invite you to open it in the confidence God is in it. He will not leave you desolate. One way or another, if you open your arms to him, he will use the gift of your days to fold you closer to his heart and make you truly his."
I don't know what God has brought to your doorstep but I encourage you no matter how ugly the package consider it as a gift from God. How we see our circumstances I believe will determine the amount of joy we embrace life with.
James 1:17 says, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."
My prayer is that God will use this gift of cancer in my life to change not just me and my family but all of you that are reading this. Thank you for joining me as I discovery the mystery of this package my Heavenly Father has sent me.