I’m supposed to go to the dermatologist every six months because of a skin condition, but I got lax and didn’t go. Last summer we were on vacation, and a mole on my back began to hurt. I decided I might as well have it checked out.

After her examination the doctor removed the mole I came in for. But the one right next to it, she said, looked like melanoma. I was totally in shock. I hadn’t even noticed that the mole had changed. After waiting two weeks I got the results. It was melanoma. Thankfully, she’d caught it early.

When I realized that God actually, literally saved my life, I fell on my face, humbled. He could have chosen simply to get rid of the cancer without my ever knowing about it, but He didn’t. Instead of just taking care of it, the Ruler of the universe reached down and got my attention so I could learn something about Him.

God saved my life. Yes, my days here are numbered; they are like a little puff of wind, but my Creator says, “Not yet.” I am here today because I still have something to do for Him. And He’s not going to allow anything to come between me and His mission for me, not even a mole.

One part of the definition of humility is that we see ourselves as we really are. Wake-up calls remind us who we are. So when you get a wake-up call from God, realize who you are, who loves you, and then give Him the glory for it.