"...be thankful in all circumstances..."

As Thessalonians 5:7 references, I have learned to be thankful in all circumstances, these past few months especially. Friday, February 4th, marked a special day for me, and I had the opportunity to celebrate it with great friends. To many, a simple Japanese lunch does not sound so exciting, but for me, it was amazing! I figured I would take this moment of celebration to finally tell many of my friends/family, who have yet to hear, about what has been going on in my life the past few months. 


On October 4th, I went to class like every normal Monday. During my first class, I passed out and proceeded to  be very sick for the next few weeks. I woke up every morning feeling absolutely horrible and went to doctor after doctor. After several weeks of not getting any better, I finally went back to the doctor. That day, they felt a small mass in my stomach and decided to do an ultrasound. A few days later, after hours of worrying and prayer, I heard the results that nothing abnormal was found in the ultrasound. As exciting as that news should have been, I was also upset because once again, the doctor had no idea what was going on. So, they sent me to a specialist. 


After a series of examinations and blood tests, the specialist decided to perform an endocscopy so he could see what was going on inside my stomach. During that procedure, they found several pre-cancerous cells and abnormal tissues. They sent off for several biopsies and told me it would be about ten days before they had any answers. THOSE WERE THE WORST TEN DAYS OF MY ENTIRE LIFE! 


I am one of the most impatient people in the world, so having to sit around and wait to hear if I had cancer was a very testing experience for me. It was very easy for me to get upset or worry, but God was trying to show me that I needed to find rest in Him and allow Him to work through me. Thankfully, I did not go through those painful ten days alone. I am so grateful for the multitude of friends of family that God surrounded me with during those times. I had people constantly sending me words of encouragement and prayer. 


One of my close friends sent me an e-mail that had many Scripture references to give me hope during that time. One in particular, that we often quote but don't really meditate on is James 1:2-3. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." 
I don't know about you, but during times of trouble, I often do not consider it "pure joy." But, God truly used this testing of my faith to develop perseverance, and to grow me so that I could experience Him and His grace in a whole new way. I truly learned to "be thankful in all circumstances."


When I finally decided to let go and allow God to show up, I got the phone call from the doctor that I was cancer free! Naturally, these words were music to my ear. Throughout that time, I couldn't help but to remember all of the loved ones I have lost to that horrible disease, especially my precious Grandfather who meant more to me than any man in the world. Even though I came out of this experience with good news, God truly used this to continue to break me and mold me. Now, four months later, I can celebrate by eating...which was something I did not get to experience during those months of sickness. There are still a lot of things I cannot eat or drink, but I am thankful.


I pray that God will continue to work through me...and through you. May we all strive to be thankful in all circumstances. 


Blessings,
Jen