In 2017 I was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma, also known as breast cancer. The following year of my life would be one of sadness and struggle but also beauty and love. People often ask me how was my experience with this challenge and my answer is always the same "I would do it again in a heartbeat because of the things I learned from my experience." Was it easy, absolutely not, but through the hard, I came to know God, myself and others in a way that I would never want to unknow. It took that struggle to see the depth and beauty of the world I live in, the people who surround me and the God that strengthens me.
In the scriptures God talks a lot about opposition. Opposition in all things I do believe is the exact phrase. So why, why do we have to have opposition? Why can we just go through life and have only good things happen. Why must there be pain, and hurt, sadness and suffering? It took me many fruitless years of life to discover all my efforts of trying to be happy 100% of a the time were, not only a waste of my time and energy, they were actually to my detriment. So why....why do we need opposition? To be simple about it, how can we know what it even means to BE happy, if we've never felt sadness? How can we know what is pleasurable if we've never felt pain. To know one side is to also know the other. The crazy thing about it is, that the more we struggle or have challenges, the more sadness and pain we have....the contrary emotions are actually heightened. When you experience something like a loss, you begin to appreciate and value so much more the love and joy you feel with those you haven't lost. When your body is ravaged by chemicals trying to fight off a disease like cancer, loving and appreciating that body means a whole lot more and if you've never known whats its like to have no eyelashes, you really can't comprehend, just how amazing they are and how perfectly designed our bodies are.
This concept of 50/50 or opposition in all things, may seem like a stupid plan. But when we can embrace it all, not just the good but the bad too, we deepen our understanding of who we are and why God created us as he did. We are designed to feel pain and elation, sorrow and excitement. All the emotions we feel are a necessary part of this earthy experience and is for a purpose. Part of that purpose is to deepen our understanding of ourselves, God and others.
Have an amazing day, and go.....embrace the 50% that's great and the 50% that's pretty crappy!
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