April 28, 2005

Lessons from Tiffany’s Melanoma

A few months after Caleb was born, Tiffany underwent surgery to remove a spot on her arm that had turned into melanoma, which is the deadliest form of skin cancer. Thankfully the surgery was a success and she is cancer free today.

I learned a couple lessons from that experience:

A Lesson From The Sun

Tiffany and I were just talking the other day about how relaxing it is to sit or lie down on the beach with the sun beating down on your skin and the cool breeze blowing in your hair. We don’t play that game anymore. We are now sunscreen-a-holics. We lather it on every time we go out. Just today I read an article from Associated Press about how a Rise of Melanoma in Kids is Alarming Doctors. We’ve even indoctrinated Caleb. He now rubs his arms and says "sunscreen" (or "suh see") every time we go outside. We’re not taking anymore chances.

A Lesson From the Son

The ensuing during that days and weeks after learning she had melanoma, I was so scared. I was freaking out. I couldn’t imagine going on without my best friend or having to explain to Caleb one day why he has no mommy. You never imagine someone in their mid-twenties getting cancer. But I have to say that God gave me a peace that I can’t understand. I thought about that peace last night as I was preparing a Sunday School lesson on John 14 where Jesus says, "Do not let your heart be troubled…" and on Isaiah 26 which says:

"You will keep in perfect peace
him whose mind is steadfast,
because he trusts in you."

The moral of the story is, don’t wait and learn these lessons the hard way. Lather up and trust Christ for your perfect peace.