A year ago at this time, I was preparing to head to Tanzania for a short-term mission trip. A few weeks before that I was back in Minnesota on a family vacation when my dad told me and my brother that he had prostate cancer, and was setting all of his affairs in order. He started giving away some of his possessions to his children and his grand children; and he explained to us the arrangements he had made for his burial and grave marker.
When I was half-way around the world in Tanzania, my dad was in the hospital undergoing treatment for his prostate cancer. My dad was surrounded by a whole lot of prayer, and now, a year later, it looks as though his treatment has been completely successful. I praise God, not only for the physical healing that my dad has experienced, but also for the renewed insight that he received, that absolutely nothing belongs to him, and that everything belongs to God.
My dad is an extremely hard worker, and takes great pride in what he does. However, nothing belongs to him. Everything belongs to God! Everything, including his very life, belongs to the one, to whom he will ultimately return.