Submitted by Van N. Houser
Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:11-13 NASB
“It is what it is.”
My brother fought a great battle against cancer. He had gone into the hospital to have his thymus gland removed. The gland looked hairy in scans and we had called it “Cousin It.” The thymus gland, located behind your sternum and between your lungs, is only active until puberty. After puberty, the thymus starts to slowly shrink and become replaced by fat. Thymosin is the hormone of the thymus, and it stimulates the development of disease-fighting T cells for the immune system. For some reason, his had not gone away and needed to be removed. While a hard surgery, the chances of cancer were very remote. The surgery, however, revealed something quite different. Cancer had consumed the gland and then dripped onto his lung, diaphragm and heart wall.
I was with him in recovery when he awoke after surgery and told him the news. His left lung and half of his diaphragm had been removed and cancer was involved. His words to me were, “Wow. That doesn’t sound good.” The days ahead were hard as he had to make some tough decisions.
Larry had a sixteen-year-old son that he adored and spent his life coaching him in baseball. He as 55 years old and in an influential position in state government working for the disabled. Life was now looking quite different.
His first response was not to fight, and yet, as many do, he agreed to at least try some of the treatments. They were very tough, and he would get about one week out of four when he could function. But he gave it his all.
That’s when I learned the real meaning of “It is what it is.” I have been chastised by some who state that this is a negative confession, but I beg to differ. When I would call and ask how he was doing, he would say, “It is what it is.” He would then speak of the condition and the impact it was having. I learned that his statement was not a confession of a defeat but an acknowledgment of the seriousness of the battle. He was recognizing that there are some things you just have to understand as fact in life. These things are the obstacles that stand in the way of our healing, peace or happiness.
“I AM that I AM”
That which enables us to move forward when we find ourselves in an “It is what it is” situation is the person of God. Our strength, resource or wisdom is unable to match some of the circumstances life brings. God’s promise is to carry us, bring us, save us, and/or deliver us which is all about His power, not ours. Denying that things aren’t serious is never the right thing to do. Acknowledging the size of the problem increases our faith in God to bring a way of escape or strength to bear.
Yes, “It is what it is”, but He is Who He says He is also.
Scripture to Claim:
'Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.' Isaiah 41:10 NASB
