Incredible Lessons from the Life of Ellen Mannoia

I had the privilege of knowing one of the strongest, bravest, and most graceful women on the planet.  She came to Greenville College in 1999 with her husband, our newly appointed GC president, Jim Mannoia.  She also came with a diagnosis of cancer that had been in remission for ten years.  Ten years.  Many doctors say that when cancer has been in remission for ten years, it's gone. So imagine their shock and disappointment when her cancer came back.

But Ellen Mannoia rarely showed any disappointment.  She rarely showed any discouragement.  I never heard her express anger toward God, or doubt about whether He was taking care of her.  Maybe she had her private moments when these normal, well-deserved emotions would surface.  Perhaps when she and Jim were alone, or when she was with other family members and close friends, she'd allow herself to express these emotions.  But if there was that side of her, most of us never saw it.

One day I asked her, "Ellen, how do you stay so positive?  How are you able to hold on to hope in the midst of everything you're going through?  How are you able to trust God when your future is uncertain?"  Her response was profoundly simple.  Really.  Profoundly simple.  "I remember to thank God every day for what I have."

She told me that in the morning before she got out of bed, she would mentally make a list of all the things for which she was grateful.  "Counting my blessings," she would say.  This simple act of recounting all the things that God had given to her, all the many ways that He was showing her His love and mercy, the small, daily reminders of His grace, changed her attitude, lifted her spirit, and made her a tremendous blessing to others.

It's important to know that this process of "counting your blessings" didn't really change Ellen's situation.  She still suffered immensely.  Cancer treatments robbed her of strength.  She experienced extreme pain.

It's also important to know that this process of "counting your blessings" wasn't just an exercise of positive thinking or false hope for Ellen.  I think she knew how badly things could turn out for her.  But still she had hope.  Hope that endured beyond her current situation.  Hope for this life -- and beyond.  She knew God was with her.  Counting her blessings helped remind her of this fact. 

Count your blessings.  Name them, one by one.  And then give thanks.  It's amazing how this simple exercise can help set our hearts and minds straight.

So here is a partial list of my blessings, in no particular order.  Most of these things aren't huge from the world's perspective.  In fact, some of them will probably seem very small -- but they are huge to me.  Because I believe they come from God.  I believe they are one way that God shows me that He's right here with me all the time.  I just have to look and listen. God's Presence is all around us.  God is in the ordinary, as well as the extraordinary.  And when I take the time to notice, I realize how blessed I am. 

• My first sip of coffee in the morning (Ok, so mine wouldn't look this dark because I put lots of cream in it...)

• Staring into a clear, star-filled night sky (with a shooting star as a bonus!) and being overwhelmed by God's limitlessness.

• An unexpected hug from my daughter, just because she felt like hugging me.

•  Having one of my youth ministry students sing, "One Less Lonely Girl" to me in class (you really had to be there to fully appreciate this one!)

• Being stopped in the grocery store by an acquaintance who told me that she's been praying for me every day.

• A text from a friend who simply wanted to say, "I love you."

• Watching "Duck Dynasty" for the first time with my son and laughing out loud with him (I think it's my new favorite show -- makes me almost want to be a redneck)

•  Freshly popped popcorn, a large Diet Coke, and a good movie at The Globe Theater in Greenville.

• An incredible promise from God's Word that popped into my head and heart, at just the right time ("Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God; trust also in Me" -- John 14:1)

• Being there when my daughter crossed the finish line in her first cross-country sectional meet.

•  Standing in front of chapel and looking over the crowd and feeling such love and humility -- I can't believe I get to do this job.

• Never having to go to bed hungry -- unless by choice.

• The smell of sawdust and paint thinner, because it takes me back to my dad's workbench where I spent countless hours with him.  I really miss him.  And I am so thankful for his influence in my life. 

• Walking out the front door with my daughters the other morning and seeing this beautiful carpet of leaves all over our front lawn.  Overnight, when the temperature dipped below freezing, the leaves dropped like rain.  

•  Teaching a great group of students who have such a heart for the Lord and for reaching youth with the love of Jesus.

• The look on my daughter's face after the Justin Bieber concert.  Definitely worth the price of the ticket:)

• Remembering the taste of fresh mango while sitting at a table with old and new friends in Malindi, Kenya.

• Listening to the soothing voice of a singer who seems to have written her song specifically for me, to minister to my heart.

• Memories -- precious memories -- of people and events from my past.  Although I cannot physically get back to those times, the memories cannot be taken away.  I can cherish them in my mind and heart, and thank God for them.

•  Joining hands in prayer with a friend who knows me well, and yet still dares to love me.

• Stepping outside and feeling the cool breeze and the warm sun and just knowing, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that God is here.

Counting my blessings doesn't mean that I no longer struggle in this life.  To the contrary, there are some pretty significant issues that I still face.  I still must deal with sorrow and pain.  But God is HERE in and through it all.

So now YOU go and make your own list.  Count YOUR blessings.  Name them, one by one.  See what God is doing in your life all the time.  Take the time to notice His Presence in the ordinary, every day of your life.  He LOVES you.  He DELIGHTS in you.  YOU are always on His mind.  NEVER forget that.

The Ultimate Paradox

A good movie is worth watching over and over again.  Of course, my definition of "good" might differ from other people's definition.  No matter how often I've seen it, "The Sound of Music" still inspires me to sing, to appreciate the everyday blessings of life, and to follow my dreams.  The "Lord of the Rings" trilogy draws me into the world of Middle Earth where I find myself believing once again that true friendship can withstand any test or trial, and good will eventually triumph over evil.  And tears come to my eyes every time I hear King George VI proclaim,  "I have a voice!" in the film, "The King's Speech," because it reminds me that I, too, have a voice -- and I not only have a right, but an obligation, to use it.

In much the same way, a good book is worth reading over and over again.  Every five years or so I pick up my Chronicles of Narnia books and follow the adventures of Lucy, Susan, Peter, Edmund, Mr. & Mrs. Beaver, Eustice, Prince Caspian, Polly, and all the others as they learn how to love and obey Aslan and care for Aslan's Narnia.  I love to read and re-read anything written by Henri Nouwen (I readily admit my extreme prejudice toward Nouwen!)  And recently I picked up a book that I first read when I was in college but now it seems as if I am reading it for the first time -- again.


As a shy, insecure college freshman, I found Hinds Feet on High Places (by Hannah Hurnard) a book that brought me comfort and hope.  An insightful and beautifully written allegory of the Christian life, Hinds Feet seemed as if it were written about ME, because I saw so much of myself in the main character, "Much Afraid."  I read this book and gained courage from Much Afraid's journey, as it seemed to parallel much of my own journey toward healing and wholeness.  She attained the transformation I longed for, with a new name ("Grace and Glory") and new-found courage to serve the Shepherd. 


But in my more recent reading of this book I've discovered two characters I almost overlooked in my previous readings.  Strange that I would overlook them, because now they almost jump off the pages at me.  Now I see them as absolutely essential to the story.  Maybe I just wasn't ready to see them before.  Maybe it was easier to overlook them.  But not anymore.


To aid Much Afraid on her difficult and perilous journey to the high places, the Shepherd gives her two traveling companions.  Two "friends" who will stay by her side, helping her over the difficult paths, guiding her the whole way.  When they first hold out their hands to her, Much Afraid is reluctant to embrace them.  And who could blame her?  Why would anyone embrace companions named Sorrow and Suffering?  And yet without these two, Much Afraid would never have made it to the High Places.



Could it be that sorrow and suffering are actually an essential part of true spiritual transformation?  A vital part of God's plan for all those who desire to grow deeper in their faith, closer to God's heart?  I think most of us who are on this journey of faith would say that we have grown during our times of pain, suffering and sorrow.  But embrace suffering?  Hold out our hand to sorrow?  That requires more than our reluctant acceptance of what we cannot change.  It requires our open hand to God -- our open, outstretched hand to the One Who desires to give us the best of gifts -- gifts that can never be taken away from us. It is truly a paradox -- the best gifts, the deeper growth, the most profound positive changes, come from the most difficult of circumstances in our lives.



I readily admit that I am not eager to experience more sorrow and suffering.  But I AM eager to know more of God's heart.  And I desperately want to stay in the place where I am closest to Him, where I am most dependent upon Him,  and where He has my complete and full attention.  Whether that is through my own sorrow and suffering, or as I enter into the sorrow and suffering of others, I KNOW God's Presence is there.