Victim or Victor?

Cancer is a traumatic event for survivors and those who love them. The trauma affects people in different ways but nearly everyone I know feels a sense of helplessness when faced with a cancer diagnosis. Some who survive the initial trauma, seemingly unaffected, experience post-traumatic stress reactions years later. A year after Jim's first surgery (during which I received the news that the cancer was more advanced than expected), I returned to the ICU waiting room to visit a friend. I became weak and nauseated as the horror of that time came rushing back to me–a completely unexpected reaction.

No one likes suffering, but there is an upside. Having come through the crisis, you can look back and see how you have grown stronger. Some trauma survivors become depressed or bitter, but other super-survivors actually benefit from the traumatic course of events. They not only survive but use the event as a springboard to a happier life. This positive reaction is called post-traumatic growth or some might call it character building. 

For post-traumatic growth to occur, the survivor must be able to integrate the catastrophic event into his world view. Saul's world view was radically changed by a supernatural encounter with the resurrected Christ. In Him, he saw a loving and forgiving God. Though we might not have such a dramatic experience as Saul, we too can come to know the character of God–through prayer and study of His Word.

For people of faith, a traumatic experience can result in increased or decreased faith.

Some people reject their faith while others embrace it. How they respond depends in part on their view of God. Those who see God as benevolent and kind rather than judgmental and harsh, generally have a more positive outcome. (See Cancer Journey: A Caregiver's View from the Passenger Seat, Chapter Seven, "Last Man Standing" p. 103.)

Though suffering can be beneficial, I've never met anyone who says, "Sign me up."  Even Paul asked God to end his suffering by removing the thorn in his flesh.  God didn't remove the thorn, but Paul persevered.

"Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.  But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12: 8-10).

Has a cancer diagnosis changed you for the good? Are you getting better or bitter? Do you see your disease as a punishment from God or do you view God as a benevolent father who loves you and wants only the best for you? A life-threatening disease is a game-changer. Will you be a victim or a victor? The ball is in your court.