I saw a post of a man who shared a photo of himself, celebrating his 27th birthday. He was in ecstasy because he had outlived the doctors' prediction by 24 birthdays.
This man was seated in a wheelchair, disabled in a way where his legs were drawn in and his hands as well. You can see that he had not had an easy life at all, being wheelchair-bound his whole life. Still, you can read his positive attitude in his posts, talking about the 24 birthdays he had more than what the doctors predicted. Or that he was telling us that he would be having his favorite meal, which is bisque soup. Everything positive.
What came to my mind was how this person was in such positive spirits even though there were many things he had never experienced. I know that if you haven’t experienced something, you can’t miss it, but still, I was heartbroken for him. The fact that it seems he doesn’t have any use of his lower limbs made me think about how he might never have been able to be active. Or that he could never experience how it feels to run, jump on a trampoline, or swim. That he never had the opportunity to walk on a beach, or the fact that he had this over his head, that he might not be able to see the next day due to the doctors' predictions.
Our pastor says that what doctors say is not what God says. In other words, they might say that you only have a certain amount of time left to live, but that isn’t what God says. God is the One who sets out your time here on earth (Exodus 9:5 / Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 / Job 24:1). This is precisely what happened to this gentleman. He outlived 24 more birthdays than what the doctors predicted because this man’s time is set by God, the Father.
Reading this man’s short post along with his photo made me realize how blessed many of us are, even though we often find ourselves struggling with feelings of depression. It's easy to overlook the blessings in our lives and instead focus on our complaints and ungratefulness. Even in the face of something as daunting as cancer, there are still blessings to be found. The ability to look back on a life filled with wonderful moments, cherished relationships, and beautiful memories is a blessing in itself. And even if you are dealing with a terminal illness, there is still the blessing of today. I know it’s a scary thought of not having tomorrow with those you love. That you want more time with them. I get that you want to see tomorrow to experience the birth of your grandchildren or have more time with your spouse. These are the fears of those who have terminal illnesses and it can be difficult to feel blessed. I understand. Stay strong and keep moving forward. You (we) still have today.
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