Mental "illness " is a gift?

     I read Ken & Joni Eareckson Tada's new book about her trials from her disability & recent breast cancer & how their marriage has survived all that. She wrote bluntly "CANCER IS A GIFT". I don't know if I can quite bring myself to put it that way, but I certainly agree with Joni & can testify how God brings amazing good things out of things that seemed absolutely horrible at the beginning. That would describe how I felt about my daughter's mental "illness" journey that began a few months ago.                     Joni & Ken testify how God used cancer to give Ken more appreciation of Joni. Realizing how easily she could be taken from him has made him treasure their time together, as well as get a better perspective of the disability trials which seem much easier to handle in comparison to cancer.                    I think the biggest lesson for me so far, has been to learn how mentally "ill" ALL OF US ARE. My thoughts on this are simply God says, "My thoughts are not your thoughts & My ways are not your ways...."Isaiah 55.  If we fully study this chapter, we find we are to repent of these "independent" thoughts. Also, remember Jesus rebuked Peter simply because Peter did NOT WANT bad things to happen to Jesus, (the cross). Jesus, said "Get behind me Satan. Your thoughts are on man's interests, NOT God's interests."                                                                                                                                                                                           Love & prayers, In Jesus, Cynthia