Everyday Miracles - The Courage To Believe

I recently had the privilege and opportunity to sit and chat with one of my next door neighbors. When conversing, it was most encouraging to hear one in particular story. You should know that my friend and neighbor, Dave is a cancer survivor. If you know a friend or family member who has survived cancer, then you can agree with Dave that it is undoubtedly an ugly disease to defeat. It hasn't been an easy battle for him.

In the last decade, Dave has undergone a series of tests, treatments and tedious surgeries. He has undergone kidney surgery, brain surgery, and multiple eye surgeries. Being bedridden along with weeks of physical therapy, Dave has managed to overcome the odds and survive one of the worst diseases known to man. Sickness knocked him down, but didn't knock him out. After multiple stories of struggle, he also shared with me an everyday routine that has helped him regain his stamina. He regularly goes to the gym with his son for strength training. It wasn't long ago when he lacked the strength to walk up the stairs in his own house. Although he isn't one-hundred percent out of the woods yet, hope has enabled him to believe it before he sees it. Dave is literally a walking miracle.

"It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man." (Psalm 118:8 NKJV)

I love this Scripture and how it is the center verse in The Bible. At the center of it all, God says it's best to simply trust in Him and His Word. We can easily become overcome with doubt and disbelief when we allow the circumstances and challenges of our current situation to take control of who and what we're confident in. We must not let the face of fear define who we are. Your struggle, sin, shame, or sickness does not define who you are. God's Word does. Understand that He holds the world in His hands and is more than able to fix any problem we're faced with. Know that God is for you, loves you, and believes in you. Be encouraged that there are everyday miracles available for you. Trust and have the courage to believe in the Lord.

Dave said it best, "I'm thankful to God." With the will to live, faith to see, and courage to believe, my friend and neighbor, Dave is both an everyday miracle and an inspiration to us all.