How often do we hear the words "this too shall pass" when going through a hard time? I know I've heard it more times than I can count. People say it with the intention of being encouraging. I really do appreciate the Barnabas' in my life who are great at encouraging me, but too often, the conversation goes something like this:
Me: "Yeah, so. I have cancer."
Barnabas: "OMG, you're too young to have cancer. Well, just remember that this, too, shall pass."
I really do appreciate the gesture. But what Barney forgot to mention is WHEN this will pass. I mean, really, does anyone really know that this will pass? Is it realistic to even suggest that it will? I don't think so. How can anyone know for sure that cancer will not be a part of my life for the rest of my life? Unless you're God, you can't know. You don't know if I will ever be cancer-free on this earth. I don't know. My doctor doesn't know. The fact is, this might not pass in this lifetime.
See, I was thinking about this earlier today. I decided that what's important is that cancer really is temporary when I look at it with an eternity mindset. I know that cancer is an earthly thing; it's temporary. When I die and step over into eternity, I get to leave cancer behind. That's a promise from God. So when we're talking about cancer in the eternal sense, it too shall pass.
