By Greg Anderson, Founder & CEO, Cancer Recovery Group of Charities
Everything I know about thinking BIG I learned from Dr. Robert Schuller.
It was the mid-1970s and following my discharge from the Army, I became a cynic—an impossibility thinker. But the bright spot in my life was meeting this cute girl named Linda. On one date, she brought me a gift, the book Move Ahead with Possibility Thinking. Its message ignited my mind and touched my spirit: “Catch the vision of the person God meant you to be.” “Attempt great things for God. Expect great things from God.” “Inch by inch, anything’s a cinch.”
I began to change, to believe I could make a difference in this world. Life was good and getting better. Then in 1984, my budding possibility thinking was put to the test. I was diagnosed with lung cancer. My surgeon gave me just thirty days to live. I wanted so much to live. But my mind was crippled by fear and doubt. Could possibility thinking be part of health and healing? The possibilities did not look promising.
My weight dropped to 112-pounds, my skin was ashengrey, and I was on morphine to control the pain. I prayed, Lord, use this—use me—show me what is possible to help the next patient, the next family, dealing with cancer. I held a vision of myself as vital and alive. I determined I would live the next hour, the next day.
God planted a seed in my mind: Cancer patients need to help and encourage each other. I made calls and invited people to meet. What started as a single Cancer Conquerors support group, today extends to every continent providing help, hope, and healing to millions of people every year.
I don’t always think BIG. But I do my best to allow God to think BIG through me. Then, I take one small step after another in an attempt to do something great for God. It has changed my health and my life.
By the way, that cute girl who gave me the book turned into a beautiful woman. We just celebrated our thirty-first wedding anniversary.
More information at www.cancerrecovery.org.
