Would You Rather Have Cancer or a Stroke?

“We need only see His sorrows, and our sorrows we shall be ashamed to mention.” – Os Hillman

My wife learned a valuable lesson the other day and taught me one at the same time…

Deanna was a bit overwhelmed with me being away for four days and her having to babysit all six of our grandkids, and so she texted me to vent her frustration (and fatigue!) However, no sooner did the text arrive, but it was followed by a second one that detailed some serious health issues some people in our church were facing. By comparing her trials with theirs, Deanna gained a whole new perspective on matters.

That incident reminded me of our trip to Boston in March 1994. Our son Chris had just suffered a massive stroke six weeks earlier and we were traveling to the Children’s Hospital there for him to undergo some experimental – and hopefully, lifesaving – brain surgery.

While we were waiting to see his doctor, we met the parents of a sweet little girl who was having a cancerous tumor removed from behind her eye… for the second time! That same evening, we had dinner with another couple whose son was being treated at CHOB. He had a cancerous tumor as well, but his was on the roof of his mouth.

Right then and there, Deanna and I stopped feeling sorry for ourselves and started thanking God that although Chris was facing a very serious operation, at least he didn’t have cancer. After eight hours of very delicate surgery, Chris’s doctor succeeded in rerouting some of his cranial arteries to supply adequate blood flow to the affected area of his brain… and he has been stroke-free ever since!

My friend, when we are down in the dumps, sometimes it helps to compare our lives with those who are less fortunate. For instance, Deanna and I live in a 34-foot trailer (by choice, not necessity); and yet there are hundreds of homeless people in our county who live in the woods. We may not have a lot of room, but at least we have air conditioning, heat, hot water, refrigeration, two recliners, a queen-size bed and a large screen TV, and most of the other amenities of 21st century life. Meanwhile, the prison ministers I visited in Kenya in 2014 and whom I still financially support today, have very few of those luxuries.

Os Hillman’s quote above is even more profound and puts things in their proper perspective. None of us has suffered the physical, emotional, and spiritual pain that Jesus endured on the cross. And so, we should think twice before we complain about our comparatively minor aches and ailments.

“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5 (NKJV)

- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President