When our daughter was diagnosed with a mass in her chest in May (see blog dated 7-14-15), the initial prognosis was not encouraging. She and our son-in-law are the parents of two small children.  

We were crushed by the news……what if they can’t…?  What exactly is this mass…..what if it’s….?  This condition is extremely rare….what if it is not…?  How much damage has been done….what if she is….?  Will they be able to remove the mass…..what if they….?  Will she be able to resume a normal life……what if she….?

As you can see, the “what ifs” were killing us but these “what ifs” were really just speculation founded upon fear .  We had to overcome the “what ifs” and our fears in order to get through this.  

We overcame the “what ifs” by permitting ourselves only to be concerned with definite/concrete information.  Definite/concrete information is information that we know to be true at this very moment, not information that we fear maybe true.  

For instance, we did not know whether or not the mass was cancerous.  The biopsy was inconclusive.  Rather than fearing the worst, we could not allow ourselves to worry about “what if it is cancer?”  Until it was an established fact, we would be “anxious for nothing”.

There were unspoken fears about whether or not she would survive the operation and about what quality of life she would have if she did survive.  There were unspoken fears about the grandchildren not having a mother and about how our son-in-law would survive and raise two babies if she did not survive.  

Each of these fears was based upon uncertainty.  These speculations or fears were situations that did not exist at that very moment.  They were not real at that given time.

We could not allow ourselves to speculate.  We simply had to acknowledge that this was not a surprise to God, that He was in control, and that He would take us through it one day at a time………..and He is doing exactly that. 

Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true,…think on these things.  Philippians 4:6-8