What does cancer have to do with it?

So Sunday God took the ideas that began brewing on Friday and turned my world on its figurative ear. You may recall that on Friday I was feeling overwhelmed and attempted to cut myself some emotional slack by indulging in a prolonged foray into self-pity. Well, on Sunday I had a wonderful conversation with a friend who shared with me about how God is blessing her through some hard things in her life. She mentioned an article by two teachers who I respect and who were diagnosed with cancer almost simultaneously. The article is called Don't Waste Your Cancer. One of the main points of the article was that someone with cancer would waste their cancer if they didn't believe that the challenge was designed by their loving Father God for their good. That's a pretty radical perspective to take on cancer, and I'm sure that not all of you agree with it. I've never had cancer, and I don't want to make light of the struggle that it is. But I think it's reasonable to say that most of the ideas in the article are applicable to any struggle we face - even ones far less trying than cancer. And I began to think about how I should not Waste This Tantrum. Specifically, I began to ponder the possibility that God has given me these struggles (that we are facing as Ca and S transition to our new family) to make me wiser, and especially to help me find my joy first - and most lastingly - in Him. The struggles are a gift, for my good. And it's changed my perspective dramatically.