Health & Fitness

My Passion To Share God's Perks
by Esther M. Bailey

Have you ever had such an intense desire to do something that you couldn't eat or sleep? A desire so big that it takes over your life? I don't reach that point often, but it has happened.

One day it happened while I was reading the Bible. That may surprise a lot of people, but there's some pretty cool stuff on the pages between those sacred covers. Like many people I'm always looking for the good life. I want all the perks I can get--especially if they're free. In only three verses of Scripture God promises forgiveness, healing, redemption, love and compassion, personal satisfaction, and renewed youth!

Wow! I thought, what a great advertisement for God. I wanted everyone to know about it. I wanted to shout even though I'm not the shouting kind. I wanted to sing even though I can't carry a tune. I had to do something, though, so I scratched my head and decided to write a book. After choosing my book's title: Pass the Perks, Please! I cranked up my computer and went to work. I had no idea what I was letting myself in for.

The writing went quite well. I wrote from research, personal experience, and stories I had heard from others. Several weeks later my book was ready to submit to a publisher. It's one thing to write a book, though, and quite another to get it published. No one wanted to put my masterpiece into print.

There was a good reason for that. I thought the book was finished, but God knew something was missing. You see, God's benefits don't guarantee carefree living. God doesn't always take us around trouble, but He does promise to take us through trouble and bring us victory. Well, I hadn't had much adversity in my life--at least not in recent years. I had once said that I believed in healing in the same way I believed in heaven. I know that heaven and healing are among God's perks, but I hadn't experienced either one. I have no first-hand knowledge of heaven because I'm not dead yet. I hadn't experienced healing because I hadn't been sick.

My doctor helped me out with that one when she said, "Breast cancer advanced--stage III." I didn't jump up and down with joy at the news, but I didn't freak out either. When I informed a friend about my diagnosis, she said, "Well, you'll be writing articles about your experience that will help others. I imagine that's what God has in mind." She paused and laughingly added, "Since I know the mind of God so well."

Some women mourn the loss of a breast. I didn't. I figured: If you've got it, flaunt it. If you don't, fake it.

The loss of my hair from chemotherapy, though, was another story. The hair would grow back, of course, and the breast wouldn't, but my tears came only when my hair went bye-bye. My funk lasted about twenty four hours. Then I read an article written by a woman going through the aging process. She looked in the mirror and said, "What's so funny, God?" I'm like, "Okay, God, if You want to laugh at my bald head, I'll just laugh with you." I put on my wig and most people just thought I had a new hair style. My situation didn't become common knowledge among my friends until much later.

When my hair started to grow back, I waited until it was about three inches long, and then had my hair stylist work her magic. I liked the effect so well that I've never changed the style. Most people say I look ten to fifteen years younger.
The other day I visited my doctor and she said, "How's your energy level?"

"Pretty good for age seventy-four, I think."

She goes, "Yeah, an old bag." We had a good laugh and then she said in all seriousness, "The best thing that ever happened to you was when your hair fell out." She thinks I'm really hip with my short hair and Bobbie Brown makeover. I must admit that makes me feel good.

After experiencing God through surgery, chemo, and radiation, I gained the credentials to rewrite Pass the Perks, Please! My passion for sharing the good news of Jesus Christ was stronger than ever. I put my whole heart and soul into the project and my dream finally became a reality.

Are you getting everything out of life that is rightfully yours? Is there an empty space in your heart you don't know how to fill? Who is God to you? If you think of God as the last hope to help you through trouble, you are shortchanging God and yourself.
The psalmist wrote, "Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits--" If you want to learn more about God's benefits, read Psalm 103. If you want to know about real-life examples of how God works today, pick up a copy of Pass the Perks, Please from www.amazon.com or www.barnesandnoble.com (B & N or Christian bookstores will order).

About the Author

Esther M. Bailey is a freelance writer with approximately 1,000 published credits in Discipleship Journal, War Cry, Power for Living, The Quiet Hour, and others. Her latest book, God's Little Messengers is a devotional book based on cute things kids do and say. Esther and her husband Ray live in Phoenix, Arizona.