Rejoicing on Tough Days, November 25
Inside the Cancer Journey: Daily Reflections for Those Coping with Cancer
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By Elvin McLin
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24 ESV).
Writing to you, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, is an honor, blessing, and privilege. Sharing personal feelings about my cancer journey isn’t the easiest thing to do. Through these devotions you are given a front seat to see the wonders and miracles Jesus has granted me through His grace and mercy. How can I be thankful, if an all-loving God allowed a disease like cancer to disrupt my life? I am glad you asked.
God has said that we are to rejoice and be glad every day that God has made. God made the day you were diagnosed with cancer. That was a tough day for me. I was not rejoicing. Today, five years after the day I was first diagnosed, I am thankful. God has carried me through not just numerous treatments and procedures, but He has carried me though immense pain, the inability to eat, mind-stopping fear and times of despair. He has given me answered prayer after answered prayer. And in His mercy, He blessed me in ways I never even saw coming.
Looking back, I can see other tough days:
· The day I received a third-degree burn on my chest.
· The day I had a gun placed on my forehead.
· The day my eldest daughter, Jazzmyne, had a cancer scare.
· The day my son, Junior, slammed into the rear of a tractor trailer.
· The day my daughter, Jocelyn, was T-boned at a downtown intersection.
Each of these days was frightening, and rejoicing was the farthest thing from my mind. But today I thank God, praise Him, and rejoice with my loudest voice! All are healthy. All are thriving.
· God healed my body from more damage than any one person should endure.
· God saved me from being shot.
· God protected Jazzmyne from cancer.
· God saved Junior’s life. He really shouldn’t be here.
· God placed a shield around Jocelyn in a car that was damaged beyond belief.
REJOICE! REJOICE!
But let’s be honest. Not all tough days have a happy ending.
The day Reverend R.S McLin died was a tough day.
Who is Reverend R.S. McLin? He was my father. He developed cancer, passing away in 1992 at the young age of 52. Devastating, right? Depends. For 30 of those 52 years, he instilled in me a fierce foundation of the Word of God. Without Dad sharing the Word with me, I wouldn’t have made it through my own cancer journey. REJOICE! REJOICE!
Can you look back on your tough days and see the loving hand of God? I know sometimes it’s not easy to see—but perhaps striving to see God’s loving hand on tough days is evidence of your faith.
Each tough day is a day God made. Faith is believing that each day God is using all things for YOUR good (see Romans 8:28). It is only though faith that we rejoice on the joyous days, and the tough ones, too. The true reason we can rejoice is the insurmountable gift of faith in our all-loving God. REJOICE! REJOICE!
Pray: Lord God, thank You for giving me the priceless gift of faith. Thank You for loving me and providing for me every day of my life. You are my reason to rejoice. Help me to see with eyes of faith, this day and every day. Amen.
Your Turn: Think of a time in your life where it was hard to see the loving hand of God. Lift that time in prayer to Him, asking Him to help you see Him there—and more, to help you trust that He was and is always at work for your good.
Elvin K. McLin, Cancer Survivor
Elvin is the husband of Dominique. They live in Ellisville, Missouri where they share five beautiful adult children and five beautiful grandchildren. Elvin is an entrepreneur who began his journey with cancer in 2019 with stage three and stage four kidney cancer. As he was healing from the first encounter with cancer, another battle with cancer reared itself in the form of prostate cancer. Elvin has been welcomed by Cancer Companions to become a member of the Board of Directors.
Cancer Companion’s vision for the future is for every person impacted by cancer to know the hope, love, and grace of Jesus and that every oncology team has included faith in their treatment toolbox. By 2033, Cancer Companions will provide 5 million engagements through cancer prayers, scriptures and interactions to those impacted by cancer. Engagements include; social media outreach, e-newsletters, prayer team requests, 30 days of Cancer Prayer event, and volunteer connections.
To learn more about our ministry and the services we provide visit our website by clicking here.
