From Mourning to Dancing

Psalm 30:11-12You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, so that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O Lord, my God, I will give thanks to you forever.She was diagnosed with colon cancer and a huge obstructive mass removed from her colon. Further testing revealed spread to the lymph nodes. Lymph nodes are the transport system in our bodies that work with our immune system to fight off infection and disease. But hers now carried the seeds of cancer that could spread to other vital organs. Chemotherapy to kill the “seeds of cancer” was prescribed and the administration of chemo began a few weeks ago.You’d think she would be sad, depressed, or scared. But NO! She remains calm, optimistic, and trusting God! She has told everyone that she has no fear, no worry, no anxiety. And I can vouch for that! She is my sister! She has put her life completely in God’s hands. She rests under his wings. She walks through the valley of the shadow of death and fears no evil. She trusts in God, whatever may come.She does not mourn her situation, but dances in God’s arms! She could be wearing sackcloth, but she is clothed in joy, wrapped in God’s LOVE and her soul is praising God. She feels wrapped in God’s LOVE and is praising Him at all times. If you are one of her friends, you have likely been blessed to see this exuberant faith for yourself.I thank God for the beautiful example my little sister sets for me, for us all! She exemplifies Proverbs 3:5-6, which says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”Let’s join my precious Rebecca and do just that!PrayerDear God, help us to center ourselves in you and to trust you with all our hearts, no matter the circumstances we find ourselves facing. Help us to submit our worries to you, to lay them at your feet. Help us to trust that you love us unfailingly and that even through hardship and troubles, you are with us. Help us to lay our burdens at your feet and to hide ourselves in You. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!This devotional was written and read by Bernice Howard.Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected]. First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.