More than Meets the Eye

When very caring people lovingly ask me ‘how I’m doing’ usually somewhere in the conversation I feel the awkwardness of how to respond to the statement – “You look so good.” Even though they’re saying I don’t look as though I have cancer, which I’ve learned to take as a compliment to the Lord, there’s always more than meets the eye. The challenge with anything physical is that the outward might appear good, but the inside is anything but good. I guess it’s best to remember that outside does not  always reveal the inside.  One recent example is an MRI scan I had done less than a week ago. Although I’m looking okay, only the scan could go past the outside and catch multiple cancerous nodes found in my (remaining) right lung. 

There’s a stereotypical idea of what people with cancer should look like.  Pale skin, yellow complexion, thinning or no hair, weight gain, weight loss, unsteady gait, and maybe oxygen dependent are a few of the outward features that come to mind.  People may experience one or more of these side effects at various stages of treatment depending on how long it’s been since they were first diagnosed. The biggest change that’s occurred and endured for me is thinner and straighter hair; much straighter hair. I was bald for at least 6 months in between; wearing a wig during daytime work hours and switching to a scarf or cap in the evenings. For me it was easier to don the wig every day, rather than re-tell the cancer story countless times to those who hadn’t discerned the difference in my appearance.  After I stopped taking chemo my hair grew back straight, straight, straight. Early on, I hoped those tempted to say they liked it better curly would get a little tongue tied.  Too fragile to perm, it’s just going to remain straight for awhile.

I’m so glad the Lord loves us so much, and thankfully His love isn’t contingent upon our outward appearance. When the prophet Samuel was sent to Bethlehem to anoint the next King of Israel, the Lord eliminated any possible contenders based on physical attributes and instead (in David) the youngest, most inexperienced son. He proclaimed his selection process this way:

But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7)

It’s good to remember it is better to enter Heaven ‘maimed’ on the outside than have that door kept closed by refusing to wholeheartedly receive Jesus Christ. (Matthew 18, Mark 9)  After all, these old, earthly tents weren’t made to enter Heaven. What will the completely transformed bodies be like? Look like? The scriptures are chock full of gems on this subject to treasure. Yet as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him." (1 Corinthians 2:9).  Praise God He will reveal so much to us if we’ll only listen, allowing His Word to penetrate deep inside.