Elephants and Tea - March 2022 - 8

Finding Peace in the Divine CACTUS CANCER SOCIETY
Peace Amidst Chaos
BY LAUREN CREEL
T
8
here are many things in life that
we prepare for. We study or practice
and hope that when the time
comes, we are ready for whatever
we face. We spend time studying
for our driving test and practicing
on the road with watchful parents
beside us. We spend years and
years in school, hoping that we'll
be prepared for the first day of our first job.
We spend time memorizing lines in hopes
that when we get on stage we'll be able to
deliver an outstanding performance. So,
when something extreme happens to us, like
being diagnosed with cancer, what preparation
from our lives do we fall back on?
After I was diagnosed with cancer at
the age of 23, a lot of people asked me if
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my diagnosis made me doubt my faith or
made me mad at God. As a Christian, I was
raised with the truth that God is actively
working in our world. He is orchestrating
our steps and has planned out every detail
of our lives. He has a reason for everything,
even when that's difficult for us to see or
understand. It can be easy for me to forget
these things when life is mundane, even
though they're foundational to my life.
When life seems only to consist of brushing
my teeth, going grocery shopping, or
doing the same job day after day, it can be
easy to overlook the intricate workings of
God in our lives.
But when hit with a massive, life-altering
circumstance like cancer, I instantly knew
that God was, is, and will continue to be
working through this situation in my life
and using it for good. I felt that something
as big as cancer couldn't have just been an
accident or a coincidence, but that it must
have been something God planned for
me to go through, and that He must have
a really good reason for it. This brought
me peace and comfort, even on my most
difficult days.
I will admit, when I was first diagnosed
and going through treatment, it was occasionally
difficult to imagine that anything
good could come out of cancer, but I held
onto my trust in God, that He knows what's
best for my life and will not let me down.
One of my favorite hymns has always
been " It Is Well With My Soul. " The beginning
lyrics say,
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Elephants and Tea - March 2022

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