Being Inspiration – April 27, 2003
Each of us seeks inspiration in different places, sacred places in our own unique ways. We have our quiet retreats, our favorite passages in scriptures and books, even that certain chair at a certain time of day when the sun bathes our thoughts with a reminder of where all good things come from. The disciple James taught that not only do all good things come from our Father above, but also that he would open them up to us if we would only ask. Says James, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God and it shall be given him.” Then why does it seem that the good things are so hard to find sometimes?
Maybe it’s because we don’t recognize the good things in life or we’re looking in the wrong places. Jeff, the father of a boy with Down’s syndrome, provides an insight. He says he felt as if he had been dealt an unfair hand—that is, until Jeff got cancer. “It has been the greatest blessing in my life,” he says, “because it made me understand life.” Jeff now says that he’s happier than he’s ever been. Through the suffering he found peace, he found answers. He learned to appreciate the little things. The day before his surgery, he ran 10 miles. After the surgery, it would be months before he could walk 10 blocks without feeling exhausted. As his strength returned, he switched to cycling, and a year after his surgery, he rode over 600 miles to raise money for the cancer institute that saved his life. Following in the support van were his wife and son. There were many tearful experiences along the road as the trio connected in a way they never had before.
It’s been two years since that first surgery. There is another 600-mile ride planned. And Jeff is ready. “There is no such thing as a bad day anymore,” he says with a smile. And you can’t help but believe him. He has become an inspiration to all he comes in contact with—not so much because of what he has been through, but because of how he looks at each moment of the day, making the best of it, looking for the good in it. “Be of good cheer,” the Apostle Paul admonished; and Jeff is. He is a reminder that each of us can be part of the peace and inspiration that others seek. The way we look at life, the way we treat others, even our smiles can be a comfort to our friends and family. It may be that we are the good thing our Father in Heaven has sent from above to someone in need.
Program #3845