I’m about to preach to myself. In fact, I’m about to preach at myself. Every now and then I need a good talking to, and now is one of those times. Listen if you want. But if you don’t want to hear what I’m going to say to myself, then just stop reading!
I’m not happy. My breathing is uncomfortable. The pain in my chest cuts like a knife… especially when I cough or sneeze. Yawning hurts like crazy. My joints ache, my head hurts, my stomach complains, my skin flakes, my rashes burn, my nose bleeds, my mood changes, my patience runs thin, as does my hair, and yet, I am blessed!
How many people in our world or throughout history have had anything like the medical care that I take for granted? The drugs I’m given are the products of years of research, and millions of dollars of investment, from some of the smartest minds in the world. And they work. They attack the cancer, they shrink the tumours, and they destroy the bad cells. It hurts, and I hate it, but it’s a good thing. And I’m blessed to have such amazing treatment available!
I have specialists and GPs (one very special one!) and nurses who care for me. I have a family who loves me and watches over me. I have friends who call, write, visit, or support in practical ways. There must be so many who suffer alone, without care, without compassion and without hope. I do feel somewhat lonely and sad, but deep down I know that I’m blessed to experience the care and love of so many.
It might not seem like it, and I know that I can so easily forget it, but the reality is that I’m truly blessed. I have a hope that comes, not from anything medicine or people can offer, but from the trustworthy promises of God. In Jesus Christ, God has forgiven my selfish independence and accepted me as his own child. He has started my life over again, and assured me that nothing can separate me from his love. Nothing! As it says in Romans…
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-39)
This is the reality of my blessing. It’s incomparable. It’s astonishing. It’s undeserved. And it’s available!
As I preach to myself, so I pray…
Heavenly Father,
Let me see things as they truly are.
Let me not be blinded by my selfishness.
Let me hold fast to the Your Word.
Let me count my blessings.
Amen
macarisms 
This is easy to say Dave, but don’t allow the things of time to loom larger than the things of eternity. You need all our daily prayers as you travel this road, and you have them.
And may he also relieve your suffering! Amen.
Some time ago I read that, when things are not going so well, a key to true happiness is to see your situation in the context of a bigger, brighter picture. Paul’s squalid prison situation was pretty horrible at the time he prepared his letter to the Philippians, yet he uses the word ‘joy’ or ‘rejoice’ or ‘rejoicing’ 18 times (KJV). Written under those circumstances, that inspired little letter from Paul is particularly encouraging. In a similar way, your writing Pastor Dave is highly encouraging because you always seem to find a way to live and breathe and express your masculine, rock solid Christian faith in the context of the biggest and brightest picture of all… i.e. eternal life in Christ. Thank you and God bless you and your special GP (Fiona) and your children.
Thanks for your encouragement! You are always pointing us to Jesus!
David my name is Dave Dravecky. A friend connected to our ministry suggested i read your blogs! Wow! You have encouraged me so much. You see I was diagnosed with cancer 24 years ago. It was a soft tissue cancer in my left arm. That may not seem so important, however, it was to me because I was a left handed pitcher for the San Francisco Giants at the time. If you’d like to read more you can visit our website at http://www.endurance.org Thank you for your honesty, your transparency on the “journey”! Thank you for showing us all through these blogs that we may not have the answers to all of life’s questions but it doesn’t change who God is and what He has given us through His Son, Jesus Christ! My wife Jan and I will be praying for you all the way from Denver, CO! Trusting God and others with who we really are-Dave Dravecky
Dave, thank you so much for your encouragement. Baseball’s not that big here in Australia, so I wasn’t in the loop of what you’ve been through. However, I’ve just watched the 3 Desiring God video clips. I was moved to tears repeatedly! So good to hear how God has moved you and Jan to encourage others. Keep it up. Love to stay in touch. Dave Macca
Hey, Dave, this post encouraged me to preach on Psalm 103 to our frail aged – incl. your mother-in-law – at the Friendship Service last Wednesday.