The Handiwork of the Lord

~~~ Epheians 2:1-10 ~~~ Psalm 100 ~~~ Luke 12:13-21 ~~~

The Lord made us, we belong to him.

Every day I create a kaleidoscope for this blog.
Today, as you can see, it is filled with pinks with a touch of gold.
Being Breast Cancer Awareness month I decided to dedicate this one
to my friends and family who have bravely faced cancer.
Some are thankfully survivors others have gone
 to heaven, each one precious to us.
Then I looked at the readings for today and was nearly brought to tears.

God did indeed make us, He has claimed us as his own....
we do belong to him. Our life is a gift from the Lord.

For by grace you have been saved through faith,
and this is not from you; it is the gift of God;
it is not from works, so no one may boast.

Each person who has been affected by cancer is,
by definition, the handiwork of God.
He created each of us for good works
made possible through his generous gift of grace.

For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for good works
that God has prepared in advance,
that we should live in them.

Jesus gives us many examples of good works
our task is to figure out how to apply
them in our life in today's world.

....one’s life does not consist of possessions.

When cancer smacks you up the side of the head
 you quickly realize that your material possessions are of no real value.
It is then that some come to the realization that the ones they love
 and care about are what matters the most.

We belong to God because of his great love for us.
The treasures we store up pale in comparison
 to the love we experience in our life.

When cancer strikes the last thing on your mind
 is how much stuff you have in your closet.

When cancer is present what matters most is surrounding
yourself with love, peace, and joy.

These are among the prized possessions that give you
 the grace to get up the next morning.

I have not personally had cancer, but I have been close
 to many within my own family who are valiant survivors.
I have accompanied my dearest friend on her journey through
the extreme circumstances of this dreaded disease.

The Lord made us, we belong to him.

The Lord did indeed make us, even when our cells
become distorted and riddled with cancer.

He even allows some to become better persons because of their cancer.
It does not matter if you are two months old or
if you are ninety-two years old
when you get the cancer diagnosis,
 you still belong to the Lord.

Give thanks to him; bless his name, for he is good

Blessed by loved ones who know the struggle with cancer.
God brought us to life with Christ...
God will raise us up on the last day.

God will some day seat us in heaven with him.

May God Bless everyone I know and love
 who has ever had to face cancer.

May they believe without a doubt the God made them for himself.
May they trust in his abundant love for them.
May we be instruments of compassion and peace for them.
For those whom I have loved and lost, I remember today.
May they rest peacefully in the arms of the Lord who made them.
~~~Amen.~~~