The Unexpected Joys of Re-mission

Several weeks ago, my oncologist told me my cancer is in remission. Great news!

But then I realized I didn’t really know what “remission” means. While the dictionary says remission is “a temporary or permanent decrease or subsidence of manifestations of a disease,” I sensed there was a bigger and more profound message for me. Perhaps for you as well.

Yes, it’s certainly wonderful to gain remission from cancer. But I began to see that this is also an opportunity for something new and exciting to occur: a fresh start in my life’s mission. So I’ve begun to change the spelling to “re-mission.”

I’m convinced that nothing is more energizing than knowing what your God-given mission is. Yet sometimes it takes a crisis like cancer to jar us out of our comfort zone so we can rediscover that mission.

Hey, when you’re not sure how much longer you have to live, you are forced to prioritize your time and energy. Focus is needed. Distractions and diversions must go.

I love how the Bible says King David “completed the work God set out for him” (Acts 13:36 MSG). What a remarkable tribute. I hope the same can be said of you and me some day.

For each of us, there’s a unique mission that must be completed before we die. When baby Jesus was presented in the Temple, one of the people who testified of His identity was Simeon. This prophetic man had already lived a long life, but the Holy Spirit had revealed to him that “he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah” (Luke 2:25-26 NLT).   

I get excited when I read Simeon’s story. Just as for him, there are certain things God wants to do in each of our lives before we pass into eternity.

Perhaps you’ve heard the renowned quote from William Barclay: “There are two great days in a person’s life ­– the day we are born and the day we discover why.” As we head into 2020, I pray God will give us that kind of 20-20 vision. That kind of re-mission will reinvigorate us more than anything else can.

7 Comments

  1. Lindsay Fleming

    Powerful quote! So happy to hear this news. Appreciate you!

  2. Timothy Taylor

    It was great to hear your good report medically. It seems that God is working “re-mission” in a lot of us. I keep thinking that it’s no coincidence that we were coming into the year of 2020. May it be so for spiritual vision!

    • Jim

      Tim, sometime I would love to connect with you in 2020. I appreciate your newsletters and pray for Rhonda’s complete healing.

  3. David Robertson

    Re-mission is a thought provoking concept. Have you determined what your next chapter focus is?

  4. Madeline Kamp

    God has given you such a gift. Let the words continue to flow…begin your next book…write blogs…You are making an impact on so many lives…and, we are all blessed because of it!

  5. Maureen

    Jim, I believe your work is just beginning. I love how you changed the phrase to re-mission. I think this is something we all need to look at our own lives and do.

    Blessings

  6. Jean Coleman

    God knows the plans He has for us and they are plans for good and not for evil. How wonderful to know that remission is actually re-mission. A real revelation and a word directly from the Lord. Thanks for sharing!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.