ALWAYS THERE: The wise words of Luis Aguilar

It is a privilege to endure trials knowing that in return all of the glory is directed towards God. For me, that is what makes extreme trials, like cancer, bearable; for I know that I am simply being used as an instrument to further His Kingdom. For the past few days, certain phrases that the doctors told me have been constantly haunting me... "It is a risky surgery""Your tumor is a BRAF mutation""Your body does not respond to radioactive iodine treatment". Many of you know about Luis, my extremely close friend that I turn to during these moments because he gets it. I met Luis about a year and a half ago at a Christmas party for the hospital and since then we have been best friends. Luis was diagnosed with osteosarcoma (bone cancer) in February of 2011 and his prognosis was very gloomy. The doctors told him that they would have to amputate his leg and afterwards he would receive numerous exhausting rounds of chemo. When they opened his leg to see if there was any way they could save it, the doctors saw something completely different from the images they viewed the previous week. His tumor had shrunk drastically and as a result the doctors were able to remove the whole tumor and the bone in his leg to replace it with a titanium rod, thus saving his leg. His cancer spread to his lungs, and after many many long rounds of chemotherapy, the spots in his lungs were declared calcified. He was finished with treatment and would come every few months for checkups. In February of 2013, when Luis went in for his check up, it was confirmed that his cancer had returned in both of his lungs. Once again, the prognosis was gloomy with only three options on the table. Luis enrolled in a research antibody treatment, which only ended up fueling the growth of the tumors. With one option disqualified and only two options left, Luis chose chemo. This chemo is a weaker version of the first type he received in 2011 because his heart could not tolerate any more of the first type. Luis is currently still receiving treatment and he is estimated to finish this protocol in late August. So, where am I going with all of this? Luis has been told not once, but twice that the doctors would try their hardest to give him the best treatment, but nothing was guaranteed. Yesterday I was talking with him and telling him that I have not been able to get those scary thoughts out of my mind. The risks, the percentages, the odds. He looked at me and said "McKendree, it's okay for the risks to be extremely high, the percentages not to be in our favor, or the odds to be against us. This is so that when you are healed and when the miracle is performed, God's glory will be even greater. The higher the risks the greater the glory. The doctors told me that they were going to amputate my leg, and I even signed the papers, but when they opened me up even the doctors could not understand or believe what they saw. God's glory was even greater that day because the doctors and everyone around me witnessed a miracle. It was God, completely His healing." I was completely blown away by his perspective and left speechless. We want the doctors to bring up the difficulties of my tumor, the risks of the surgery, and my refusal of the treatment so that when I am healed, my testimony will speak even greater and bring even more attention to my Father in Heaven. I am so thankful that the LORD placed such a man-of-God like Luis in my life to help me understand and encourage me in my faith, especially on the days when I feel completely distraught and overwhelmed. I wanted to take a couple of minutes to brag on this wonderful young man and share his wise words. You can apply this to your life as well even though you might not be fighting cancer or an illness; for our trials and hardships in this life, although they are not guaranteed to be easy, are the most beautiful and promising things that this life can offer us. It is a privilege to suffer knowing that all of the glory is directed to our Creator. No trial is too small or too big, for they all serve the same purpose. So whatever your trial may be, embrace it and learn to love it knowing that the Creator of the Universe is using you as an instrument to lift up His name and to shine light in this dark world.