Grace

Day 28. Grace...

I've been watching the news about the young woman in Oregon with brain cancer that intends to use their State law allowing for medically-assisted suicide. Two days after her husband's birthday, in just a few weeks. I'm sure he's thrilled she's giving him that last birthday together. Not really, I'm being sarcastic. And she's being selfish.

Glenn Beck talked about this on his radio show Wednesday. I totally agree with him. This young woman shouldn't be heralded as some sort of hero for her brave sacrifice. She's giving up. I hate a quitter.

Life throws all kinds of things at us. Good and bad. We are meant to deal with them all. We aren't supposed to just chicken out, in fear of how awful or painful things may become. God doesn't have any surprises: He knows exactly what you will face from the moment you are conceived. He doesn't just sit in Heaven and toss out punishments to see how you'll do. This chick in Oregon, she gets a big FAIL.

There are lessons to be learned from everything we go through. I'm writing this blog as a way to try and teach others about how I've applied the lessons I've been given. I know I'll have more lessons to learn, and there may be bad ones among those as well. I've had plenty, but I can't just yell "ENOUGH, I QUIT" and expect God to just say "awww, I'm gonna cut her a break now." That's not how this works.

We play the hands that are dealt us. Nobody said this was a 50/50 game, with good and bad being equal. If you're going through life expecting it to be fair, you'll be sorely disappointed. It's not like that. It might be, but it's not guaranteed. We celebrate glorious highs, and what seem like bottomless lows. But the human spirit isn't designed to just quit. We are fighters. Ever seen those pictures of babies in the womb reaching out their arms? Even watched someone struggle to take one last breath? We don't quit.

This woman in Oregon wrote an article for CNN titled "My Right to Die with Dignity." Please. Your rights are given to you by God. So was your brain cancer. He meant for you to learn something from having it. You're cheating yourself, and others who might learn from it. What if during this process you were meant to find something far more important? Maybe the doctors working on your case were going to discover a cure for some other cancer? But then again, God knows you are weak and won't see this through to the end. He knows all.

A repeat, from Illusions: There is no such thing as a problem without a gift in its hands.

The greatest gift He gives us is Grace. The Grace to accept the other gifts. It's a shame this woman doesn't realize the gift He's offering her. Her story could be so inspiring, but for me it's depressing and weak. I don't think I could stand by her side and watch her throw the future away. There's so much to be learned, even from a miserable situation.

Lesson Twenty Eight: Do you believe we should just give up when things get rough? How do you feel about assisted suicide, when the outcome is bleak and the pain will be great? Do you think there's a bigger plan for us all that we have to see through to the end? Think about the things you and the people you love have been through, and remember how lucky we all are to be offered the opportunity to receive His Grace.

702 to go...