The Undertow of Cancer

"Cancer is like being caught in an undertow.  Upon realizing that they are in danger, people usually panic and think, 'I'm going to die!'  Furiously they try to swim to shore.  However, according to the experts, they are the ones least likely to live.  Consider this advice:

When caught in a rip current [undertow], one should not fight it, but rather swim parallel to the shoreline in order to leave it.  If you see a person caught in one, yell at them to do so.  Floating until the current disperses into deeper waters is another method of surviving such a dangerous incident, but it may leave the swimmer farther out from shore.

Floating until the current disperses into deeper water?  Sounds crazy, doesn't it?  Allowing the wave to take you further away from the shore?  And yet, that is what survival requires of us.  How is that any different than faithfully trusting in God?  During the undertow times in our lives, our human nature is to panic and struggle, when actually just the opposite will help us overcome our problems.

The expert advice is, 'If you see a person caught in one, yell at them to do so.'  OK, so I'm now 'yelling' at you.  Calm down.  Lie on your back, so to speak.  Allow God to care for you.  Trust Him.  Don't panic, even though it makes sense to do so.  The ocean's pull might seem to take you away from safety, but it creates your best chance for survival.  Trust God."

- Michael S. Barry, The Art of Caregiving