I Shall Not Die

It's been 8 years since I had a mastectomy as part of my treatment for metastatic breast cancer. When I was initially diagnosed, the doctor was very somber, due to the severity and advancement of the disease. I didn't even ask her how long I might live, but she mumbled some timeframe beginning with the number one. During one of my bible readings I stumbled across Psalm 118:17. "I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the LORD." It was shockingly bold and, I thought, poetic and beautiful. But I couldn't take it personally and apply it to my life. I couldn't claim it for me and my situation. The thought was too presumptuous. But the warmth of the idea nestled in my heart. A photo my daughter had taken of me in the hospital after surgery popped up in my Facebook memories recently. It took my mind back to those days and that verse. I was shocked all over again. I DIDN'T die, I DID live! I have to ask myself, "Have I declared the works of the Lord?"