As I write this, I am on a two week cycle with a chemo drug whose side effect is severe fatigue and causes ulcers on my tongue. But I have so much for which to be thankful: This chemo does cause some of the tumors to shrink, and others remain stable. Also, I am able to get this infusion from a cancer center 35 minutes away instead of the center 2.5 hours away as I previously had to go to for treatment. As some of you know from personal experience, chemo can have devastating side effects, but, as I told a fellow patient at my last infusion appointment: “There is no place I would rather be than right here right now. Because this is the only place I can get better. Everywhere else I would be getting worse.”
I’ve found that expressing gratitude by performing an act of service in close proximity to receiving bad news is the surest way of finding a reason to be “joyful” in the face of adversity. The day after I received the news that my cancer had metastasized, I had the privilege of being a United Way volunteer to help flood vic:ms in our area access financial assistance from local charities. A day spent like that not only can lift your spirits, but it can also enable you to “tread on the heights” (Habakkuk 3:17-19) by serving others who are dealing with their own bad news events.
In fact, just as gratitude journaling generates positive health benefits, the same is true for volunteering. Over the past two decades, a growing body of research indicates that volunteering provides not just social benefits, but individual health benefits as well. This research has established a strong rela:onship between volunteering and health: those who volunteer have lower mortality rates, enjoy a sense of purpose and fulfillment, have greater func:onal ability, reduced stress levels, and lower rates of depression later in life than those who do not volunteer (http://createthegood.org/articles/volunteeringhealth). Performing an act of service to people in need when you get your bad news event could be a needed balm to your soul, and could be doubly beneficial when you record it in a gratitude journal to remind yourself of how God’s mercies “are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:21-24). When I declare my heartfelt allegiances to God, I will face all life’s bad news events with him by my side. He absorbs the brunt of those troubles, leHng through to me only that which can work together for the good to build my character on the path to heaven (1 Cor. 10:13). Being grateful under any and all circumstances in which you find yourself really does provide a peace that transcends our understanding, and puts a guard around your heart, mind, and body, providing an antidote for despair.
