Of cancer and joy

People get sick. Really, they do. People have gotten sick for thousands and thousands of years and for thousands and thousands of years people have died. It's an effect of sin, the world was perfect, now it's not. Sin has infected the world. Can't change it, can't deny it, can't even avoid it. When your mother has cancer it hurts, can't deny that either. Everywhere you turn people's mothers and fathers and grandparents have cancer, some people you meet even have cancer themselves; and as many types of cancer as there is, there are twice and many things mankind does with it. But when your mother has cancer and you have are following Jesus everything....changes. Tears happen then they transform into trust, pain racks the spirit then it transforms into humility, questions are asked (often in anger) then they turn into surrender. Why is this? Is it because Christians are the best actors? Some are. Is it because we're so good at convincing ourselves that it's not true? Again, yes for some. But for a real follower of Jesus it might look something like joy and peace, and humility and surrender, and faith and trust, and on... and on... and on.