Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional “Unlikely Vessels” for Tuesday, 25 November 2014 - Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional “Unlikely Vessels” for Tuesday, 25 November 2014 - Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1: The Rescue
3-5 All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort—we get a full measure of that, too.
We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.(2 Corinthians 4:7 (KJV))
During a recent staff-retreat day, our leader asked us to think back to a time when we encountered an “unlikely vessel” of God’s grace. That question reminded me of an experience a few years ago that was an important event in my spiritual life.
I was sitting in a coffee shop waiting for a friend. I was wearing a baseball cap to (somewhat) disguise the fact that chemotherapy had caused me to lose most of my hair. A young man approached my table and said, “May I ask, are you in treatment?” I said yes, and he said, “So is my mom.” After a brief conversation in which he asked me to tell him my story, he said, “I hope it goes well for you.”
Since that encounter, my spiritual discipline has been to approach each person I see who is obviously a cancer patient and offer the opportunity to tell the story of his or her diagnosis and treatment. Their stories are gifts of grace for me. I always offer a prayer for these courageous people, either silently or aloud.
That young man was an unlikely vessel of God’s grace for me. Since that time, my hope has been to be such a vessel for others.
Read more from the author, here.
"Seven Years Later"
Hello Upper Room readers. I want to introduce myself. For many years I was the director of publishing for The Upper Room, so my name appeared in the front of the daily devotional guide. Now I am retired, and the only way my name can appear in the magazine is if I write a meditation and it is accepted!!
I was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma seven years ago, and went through a really difficult six-month treatment. But I am happy to say that, seven years later, I am healthier than I was before I was diagnosed. During the past seven years I have met some really wonderful and courageous people. I think about the woman I met on the ferry when we were on our way to a destination wedding. She was wearing a baseball cap so I, an off-the-scale introvert, went up and asked her whether she was in treatment. That question led to a conversation that didn’t end until the ferry arrived on the other shore. I still wonder how she fared.
One positive result from my cancer experience (there were many, actually) was that I became a go-to person for friends and relatives of others diagnosed with cancer. I think of these conversations as a kind of “giving back.” As difficult as it sometimes is, I love to listen to the stories of others who are living on “planet cancer.” For the last six years, I have been walking the half-marathon here in Nashville. Many walkers and runners in that marathon are doing so on behalf of the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society, and I always approach these runners/walkers and say a big “thank you” for what they are doing.
When I think back on the almost yearlong cancer experience, most of my memories involve the loving support that came my way. I think of my spouse, who took me to all my treatments so I wouldn’t have to drive myself. I think of my adult sons, who called me every day to make sure I was ok. I think of my brother, who came from Kansas City to sit with me and do jigsaw puzzles. I think of my friends who watched over me—my best friend Cindy, who cut off all my hair so I wouldn’t have to see it fall out. My doctors and nurses were awesome. My workplace—how could it have been more supportive? I really don’t know!! My son and sister-in-law ran the marathon the spring I went into remission and raised a lot of money on my behalf for the LLS.
I’ve read that a common response to a cancer diagnosis is “Why me?” I never really asked that question. But now, looking back on it all, I often ask this question: “Why did I get the kind of cancer that is curable?” Why me?” When I was first diagnosed one of the doctors involved told me I was lucky to get that particular kind of cancer. At that point in the process, I have to say I didn’t really feel very lucky!! But now, these seven years later, I still say a prayer of gratitude every day.(Lynne Deming)

PS: The staff member I mentioned in the meditation was John Mogabgab, founding editor of the Weavings journal. Our beloved John succumbed to thyroid cancer earlier this fall. We miss him so much!!
The Author: Lynne Deming (Tennessee, USA)
Thought for the Day: Today I will be ready to show God’s grace to those whom God sends my way.
Prayer: Loving God, thank you for those persons who are unlikely vessels of your grace. Help us to be such a vessel for others. Amen.
Prayer focus: Someone undergoing chemotherapy
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