There’s a lot of pink in the corner at LEX airport! It’s the end of October and Breast Cancer awareness month. I don’t often stop to look much at such things, just say a quick prayer and move on.
But today I was struck by the way the light was shining through the banner. And the pink bracelets did not mention cancer. They display ‘Faith, Hope, Strength, Courage’. These could be fruit and gifts of the Spirit!
I found myself praising God for 9 year old Ira’s response the day before at house fellowship (where we were talking about gifts of the Spirit) to my question ‘what do you think God might want you to say, write or draw for someone in our fellowship today?’ And Ira immediately took a paper and pen and drew big teeth eating a cancer cell because ‘God wants to tell my Mum He’s beaten the cancer.’ God has beaten her cancer into remission and we believing that’s a forever healing!
I was also humbly reminded that I have too often taken for granted my own healing from cancer. It has been more than 14 years. Earlier today our almost 21 year old son had driven me to the airport. As the light streamed through the pink banner as I waited for my flight, I found myself giving thanks that I was still here to receive a big hug from him. I was overwhelmed by God’s love that had saved me. He did not just save me ‘from’ cancer but ‘for’ a life full of His presence, infused with His love and empowered by His Spirit to share His Faith, Hope, Strength, Courage and Love with others for as long as He puts breath in my life.
So I sat there praying for those who are battling with cancer, that they will claim the Lord on their side; for those who have been healed into life beyond the veil, that they will be an inspiration to us through the great cloud of witnesses; and for those who have received healing in this life, that they will live to God’s glory.
But most of all I am praying for all of us, that we will claim the fullness of life that God has saved us for, now! For we have a God who raises the dead! And He desires for all of us to live into that life right now, through the power of His Spirit, to bring His Hope, His Strength, His Courage, His Faith and His abundant Love into our broken world.
Sam
