Every year about this time, it seems I write, metaphorically, about losing that Christmas weight gain. This year, personally, I have no such concern. Shortly into the Holiday season, I started being sick and losing weight. Since Altha and I were in the middle of selling our California home and moving to Arizona, I decided to put off seeing a doctor until after the move. Accordingly, I found a new internist in Arizona who gave me lots of tests. By that time, I had lost about 15 pounds. Within days, I learned that I had a tumor in my pancreas. Long story short, I have pancreatic cancer. And since that first doctor appointment, I’ve lost another 10 pounds.
But beyond telling you, my friends, of this present affliction, and requesting your petitions on our family’s behalf, I do have a spiritual analogy (does that surprise anyone?).
In the physical world, losing all our weight will result in death. Even so, in God’s economy, losing “all things” results in the loss of our self. But in doing so, we gain Christ. When Paul was afflicted and perplexed, he was never crushed or driven driven to despair—having learned this: the greater the weight of affliction, the greater the weight of glory (2 Cor. 4:8, 17).
As I begin this uncertain health journey, I have no doubt there will be many circumstances that will bring me face to face with this all important question, “What must I lose to gain Christ?” And, am I really, as I have said so many times in this blog, “dying to live the abundant life?” I am sure I will have much to share, as I am able, in future posts. God bless you all in this year of new things.
