Why Not Me?

Has something ever happened to you and you said to yourself, "Why Me?"    As any cancer survivor would tell you, those two little words are quick to the forethoughts whenever the doctor delivers the crushing news that you have cancer.  When I was diagnosed in 2004, I even bought a book about cancer entitled, "Why Me," in hopes of gleaning some sliver of a logical explanation as to why my busy life was interrupted at the young age of 33 years old.

This past November at our Christ Over Cancer, Day of Hope event, a fellow survivor put an entirely different spin on those two little words for me simply by adding one small three letter word between them.  In his humble and loving speech to an audience that had in some way been touched by cancer, my friend, Ron  declared to the group.... WHY NOT ME?    Ron, who had endured a chemotherapy treatment earlier that day, said those three words, Why Not Me, occurred to him when he saw a young mother taking care of her very small children.  Ron thought to himself, would I rather she, with her small children, have cancer than myself who has already experienced many of life's wonderful moments?   Ron realized there were countless other people who were in different points of their lives where a cancer diagnosis would not only affect that person, but would alter the course of several other people's lives in a negative way.  It was that day, that Ron decided to choose to say " Why Not Me," instead of "Why Me."

Our society today, unfortunately, is geared towards self satisfaction and gratification.  Looking out for our fellow man before ourselves these days is just not the norm.  Those who do look out for others first, stand above the crowd and I am certain get a big smile from Jesus.  It was Jesus who told us in Mark 12:29-31:
The most important one,”answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’There is no commandment greater than these.”  

So, the next time the evil one causes your thoughts to go towards the two words, "Why Me," think of the commands of Jesus and think of a courageous cancer survivor named Ron who decided to say, "Why Not Me?"   Choose to love others greater than yourself.

God Bless