Time For Reflection

I have taken some time for reflection and meditation to try and better understand what is happening to my medical situation as it grows more complicated. It was kind of funny last night as I was looking at some of the medical testing results in the area of "chromosomes" and to try to understand how or why I came to be missing some parts of a couple of them was, I suppose, "staggering" just to realize that our medical technology has come to a place where this information is obtainable. Praise the Lord.

So the doctor says I seem to be missing half of chromosome #5 and the duplicates of numbers 7 and 17 are missing which tell a serious story about the blood production system in the body and what it amounts to is MDS which means "myelodysplastic syndrome" and that, if I am explaining it accurately, is a "precursor" to AML which is "acute myelogenous leukemia". The report stated that it was "incipient & emerging" which means basically, "it's on its way".

We all take time in our lives to question "why these things are happening in our lives" especially when we are working so hard to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with a world that is lost and spinning wildly out of control. And this morning, at 5:45 AM God woke me up to help me understand that it doesn't really matter. And He did that by bringing to mind this particular passage of scripture:

"Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed upon you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress may be evident to all. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things; for as you do this, you will insure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you" (James 4:14-16 NASB).

What I heard God speaking to me was that the condition of my body was irrelevant in life's demands, however, the condition and strength of my faith in Him plays a very big role in how we deal with these dilemmas in life, these trials within that would drive a crazy man sane.

Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12:7,8: "And because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me--to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I entreated the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness."

I understand these passages of scripture very well and know that God is my strength and support system. The doctors will do what they must do as time progresses, however my concern is to continue to use the spiritual gifts within for the edification of the kingdom of God.

This morning I pray that in your life, as perhaps some of these kinds of "sour apples" fall from your "tree in life" that you "take up the full armor of God" as mentioned in Ephesians 6:13 and "resist the evil day having done everything to stand firm."

In case it hasn't come to your attention, the world is in extreme chaos, such as never before in my lifetime and we are God's "means to His end" so as I read in one of the medical reports it said "take a deep breath, and continue doing what you do in life." God is telling me that the "battle" is becoming more intense and it will, at some point, take every ounce of faith you and I have to finish the battle that will ultimately Glorify our God who is in heaven, patiently awaiting our arrival.

Be blessed this day and do what you can to surround yourself with your family and close friends. You never stop needing one another.

God's VERY Best to you this day,

Dave

PS. The Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma is presently still "at bay" (still "lurking around" but currently taking a back seat to a different set of circumstances - Praise the Lord!).