See, my grandmother has been fighting cancer for the better part of the past three years. We knew that her passing would come at some point in the future but not necessarily at this time. Her battle began with a bout with breast cancer. Once this was resolved, a brain tumor revealed its ugly head and, mentally, she hasn't really been the same since. This tumor resulted in a surgery without much recovery. The result was another tumor, a kidney stone, and a failing liver which ultimately resulted in her passing.
I give you that information not to gross you out or to make you feel sorry for her; but to tell you what's next. Cancer arises in the body and uses perfectly good cells to do its dirty work. Once cancer takes over a cell, that cell begins to produce cancerous cells which, in turn, take over other cells and the cycle continues. As far we medically know, there is only one type of cancer that people are actually born with. This cancer is one that takes over every cell in the human body almost instantaneously. It is a slow killer that consumes more victims than all other cancers combined. This cancer takes 100% of the victims infected with it and the dying does not cease after the victim passes from this life. The best name they have found for it is sin.
Sin is a problem that overtakes all humans when they first enter this world. It is a result of our natural state which is enmity with the God of the universe and our personal Creator. The Bible tells us in Romans 6:23 that the deserved payment for the way we are born is death. It seems a bit unfair, doesn't it? Why should I be punished for something that I can't help? It's unfair until you come to the realization that God created us to be perfect and to live up to His standard. Anyone that lives up to that standard is in great standing with God and the cancer of sin is never an issue.
Unfortunately, no one can live up to God's perfect standard. That means we all should die forever, right? Wrong. See, even though justice says that people infected with sin deserve death, mercy sent a replacement to take your punishment for you. Those little crosses that everyone and their mom wear around their necks actually hold more significance than most realize. God sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross in our stead. He came to earth for the sole purpose of living a perfect life. That means His voluntary death as a perfect man is sufficient to pay the price for the sin of anyone and everyone. Now our job is simply to believe in Him to wash our sin away. The Bible says that the blood of Jesus can wash us as white as snow. At that moment, the cancer does not go away. But the enmity against God has been removed and the debt has been paid. Simple? Yes. Crazy? You bet.
My grandmother lived her life proclaiming that very message with her actions, her words, and her conduct. She went through her final days (and all the rest of her days, honestly) with a blessed assurance that she would not be in pain forever. She knew that her death was just a change of address because the cancer of sin had no victory over her. She would not die for eternity but would live forever in the arms of her Creator.
I know this post has not been the typical, review-her-life and memories kind of post. But I can sincerely say, from the bottom of my heart, that this is what she would have wanted you to hear above all else. Therefore, the greatest honor I can do in her memory is by sharing it with you. If you're still here, thank you for reading. If you want to know more/have questions/want to completely disagree and need someone to debate with you, comment or message me and we'll talk. I cherish every memory that I have of my grandmother and I appreciate you sharing in this time both with myself and my family.
"We are confident. Yes, well pleased, rather to be absent from the body and present with the Lord." - 2 Corinthians 5:8
Stay classy,
Andrew
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