By Harold Keller

The most dreaded news anyone can receive after a physical examination is to hear the doctor say, “You have cancer.” Lately, I’ve heard of many people I know, young and old, who have been diagnosed with cancer. Some of them handle the news in a positive way, thinking only of what they need to do to get healed. The majority, on the other hand, get depressed, thinking that this could be the beginning of the end. They give up.

My family has had to cope with such news, and then the battle to survive. My oldest daughter, Ronny, in 1992, had acute leukemia. After eleven months of chemotherapy, a positive attitude, faith, and many prayers, she was completely healed. I personally had colon cancer four years ago, had surgery, and today, Glory to God, have been healed. Elise, my granddaughter, ten years old at the time, developed cancer of the intestines, and with the excellent staff at Children’s Hospital, faith, and many prayers, is not only healed, but as she enters her senior year of high school, wants to attend medical school. I share these experiences only to encourage anyone who is battling the disease of cancer.

I’ll never forget the handout that Ronny picked up at the doctor’s office when she was first told that she had leukemia. The title said, “What Cancer Cannot Do.” We all know that cancer can kill the physical body, but cannot kill the spirit. It cannot rob us of our joy, cannot end our friendships, and cannot decrease our love. It will never destroy our character or weaken our faith. Cancer cannot shatter hope, cannot destroy peace, or suppress memories. It cannot silence courage or invade the soul. The bottom line is that it cannot rob us of eternal life. Cancer is so limited.

When I speak to groups about positive thinking, I challenge them to look at the bright side of life. I stress that positive people live longer, get sick less, and when sickness does come, have a faster rate of recovery than people who are negative. We must always keep in mind that our God is a positive God. He expects His people to live life to the fullest, not fearing life or death. He wants us to live one day at a time, always being prepared for anything that life might bring.

Harold can be reached at P.O. Drawer U, Reserve, LA 70084; 985-652-8477, or hkeller@comcast.net.