Precancerous Cells

Every morning I pray for a group of people who are in need of healing. Some have cancer, some have addictions, some are depressed, and some are in pain. The other morning, I realized that there are probably so many other people around me who have precancerous cells growing inside them right now. It might take years for these damaged cells to proliferate and become a detectable mass. Similarly, there are people who are in pre-addictive phases. Right now, they are just using alcohol, medications, food, pornography, gambling, etc. to fill a void, to temporarily numb themselves.

I wondered what microscopic pre-malignancies are growing within me right now. I have certain habits that need careful monitoring. I have a tendency toward despondency and anxiety. I can also be obsessive-compulsive about many things. These predispositions are still contained, manageable…in situ. As of now, they are imperceptible irregularities, hardly noticeable compared to the bigger tumors that are visible in others. If left unchecked, these predilections can become toxic malignancies that take over my life.

Like radon—which is an invisible poisonous carcinogen that is present in many homes—evil works surreptitiously. This gradual sliding into decay is something I notice within me and around me. I write about it frequently in an attempt to remind myself and others of the danger. I know I’ve used several metaphors and several blog posts to try to research and study this serious affliction. Yet, I feel like I still haven’t figured out how to prevent it.