We all know the story about David and Goliath. It is the story that inspires us to go out, not be afraid to take on the big guy, and not shy away from our biggest problems. However, there is a part of the story that gets skipped over that has helped me bring my fight against cancer into a new light.
After Goliath has once again challenged the Israelites to send out their best warrior to fight him and David hears him, he goes to King Saul's tent to tell the king that he will fight Goliath. King Saul sees David standing there in his shepherding clothes and decides to give David his armor. Once the armor is placed on him, David tries to walk and realizes that the armor is not fitted for him, and he is unable to even walk. David decides that the best battle plan is to fight Goliath with his slingshot, five smooth stones, and his faith.
King Saul's armor would never have worked for David, and he would have failed, if he tried to use it.
In rereading this story, I can see that God has uniquely fitted me with armor for my battle against cancer. The past few weeks, I have received multiple comments about my attitude and how I am choosing to go through this battle. My only response is that that is just the way I am. I don't know any other way to do it. Trying to fight this cancer the way someone else has fought their cancer just will not work for me. My trying to fight cancer the way someone else has would be like David trying to wear Saul's armor. I just would not be able to walk this road.
How many times have we heard inspirational stories from people and then gone out on the mission we think God has for us, only to fail? We can gain inspiration from other people, but we cannot put on their faith or armor to fight our battles. Their armor is not fitted for us. God knows the plans He has for us and the battles that we will face; He will fit each of us for those battles with the armor that He knows we will need.
