rainbow.jpgOften we focus on what we are giving up, and losing through having Hepatitis C and treatment. But may I challenge you to look at what Hepatitis C cannot do.

The poem written by an unknown author titled, “What Cancer Cannot Do” is very inspiring. Inspiring because it highlights the truth. The truth that there is so much more to our lives that disease cannot touch. Hepatitis C does not define who we are, nor does cancer or any other chronic illness or circumstances, whatever they may be. We are defined only by God.

What makes us who we are, God defines as valuable, unconditionally loved. Loved and valued so much that He gave His one and only Son to take our place and die for us so that we could have eternal life and a real life relationship with him, now and forever. Life is precious. There is so much in our lives that Hepatitis C cannot touch. We can walk in faith and victory daily no matter what our circumstances are.

Let’s take a look at the poem, What Cancer Cannot Do. I have substituted the word Cancer for Hepatitis C thus highlighting the truth of what Hepatitis C cannot do. You can also make it personal by substituting your situation.

What Hepatitis C Cannot Do

Hepatitis C is so limited...
It cannot cripple Love
It cannot shatter Hope
It cannot corrode Faith
It cannot kill Friendship
It cannot suppress Memories
It cannot silence Courage
It cannot invade the Soul
It cannot steal eternal Life
It cannot conquer the Spirit.

There is so much more in your life that Hepatitis C cannot touch. Look! Lift the veil, clean your lens of perspective and see. Focus on those things that God has placed in your life. Those things enrich your life.

There are treasures in the darkness even through Hepatitis C. Picture for a moment, you are walking through a desolate valley full of rocks, sparse trees, overcast sky. The valley of darkness, the valley of the shadow of death. You do not walk alone. Psalm 139 reminds us there is no place we can be that God is not right there with us. No place. He has gone before you and is right there beside you. He’s as close as your heartbeat. And He never leaves.

What you carry with you through this valley is more valuable than you realize. You carry each one of these treasures mentioned in the poem because of Christ. These things are untouchable by disease, death, illness, and circumstances. What is required is to look beyond our loss but to our gain.

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NLT

Hepatitis C does not define the number of our days. God is the one who determines how many days we live on this earth. But what we choose to fill our minds will affect who we are. And we are more than the sum of our troubles.

Martin Luther spoke of a truth, “I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess.”

May I recommend the book, “What Cancer Cannot Do” by Physllis Ten Elshof. This book offers stories of hope and encouragement for anyone facing any illness, not just cancer.

Can you list the good things, what you have gained from loss with Hepatitis C?

This entry was originally published on Life Beyond Hepatitis C September 24. It is reprinted with permission.