Thankfulness, Thanksgiving, and Primary Neoplasms

Last night I was studying cadiopathology out of Robbins Basic Pathology and as I was nearing the end of my long stint in this book and read the following sentence:

"Primary cardiac tumors are uncommon; in addition, most primary cardiac tumors are also (thankfully) benign."

Before I go on, I make no claim to know the religious persuasion of any of the authors or editors of this book, other than it is a highly regarded scholarly text...which usually means that it is written in an objective, scientific, somewhat Darwinian style, with often little reference or inference to a higher power. You probably need to re-read that quote up there now after this disclaimer.

I read through it first off with out a hitch and then that word in the parenthesis sat funny with me. Thankfully...seriously, did I just read thankfully, a more literary word than a scientific word in a pathology text book. I mean this word has strong gut emotions. It is tied into the soul. So I thought, heck yeah I would be thankful that a tumor is benign. But who would I be thankful to? As a believer I immediately say: God!! If I had just gotten a pathology report back that says benign, I would start praying and saying thank you as soon as I could come to my senses. But what struck me as odd is not this, because those of us who are believers have a Being to be thankful to. Thankfully if not to God (or rather in the absence of God) make no sense. And this is what I am getting at.

As I said earlier, thankfulness is tied into the soul. We all express (or want to express) some measure of thankfulness at the happening of fortuitous events. I dare say even gang members and criminals express (albeit skewed) happiness at a "benefiting event". But I am getting of topic. If there were no one to thank, from a Darwinian stand, what good would it do to be thankful. If there were no God, why are our souls so insistent on expressing gratitude when faced with a horrible outcome turned favorable. There is no reason, it would be counter productive. It would be thanking an idea of luck, or fortune, or happen stance...of which none of these can respond and say "You are welcome." Kind of like thanking your dinning room table for the bountiful blessing of food sitting upon it.

Even for our fallen selves(believer and non believer alike) I think that thankfulness is rooted deep in our human nature. All of us (believer and non believer) are made...and made for a purpose. Even in the nonbeliever I think that there is a remnant of this Original Man (aka Adam) left in us that wants to thank someone (aka God) for the fortuitous, good, and blessed events of our life. It is back to our original purpose to love and to worship God. Our souls long for a Being to give adoration to. How sad it is indeed when this is given to "the fates" and "chance". When people are thankful and know not why.

Thanksgiving is coming up. Let us not be meager in our thankfulness and knowing who our blessedness comes from...whatever be our situation. Let us fill our hearts full of the joy that comes from knowing that we are beloved children and that as we thank God for his pleasures and joys (or pains and sufferings) upon this earth, that we will be filled even more with the heartfelt pleasure of knowing Him and that He is good.

This was my meager attempt at apologetics and evidence of the Lord upon being thankful. I hope it made sense. Please someone who is more capable in these ways take this and run with it. As I often say the disconnect from the brain to the fingers/mouth are often quite evident. And thank you to all 2 people who read this. Haha...back to studying.