Cancer

I just found out my friend has cancer. It's a very treatable kind of which I'm thankful to the Lord for medical breakthroughs and modern science. My friend is 18 years old and in Bible college, learning more and more each day how living a Christian life is not all butterflies and gumdrops, but rather trial on top of trial surrounded by an immense amount of blessing.
My friend's cancer is inspiring because he's not focusing on the trial and questioning "why" but he's focusing on the blessing and asks "why not?" This comes as an amazing encouragement to me. I see a young man who has many things going for him face an awful disease which causes many of the world to give up, and rather he is not phazed, his foundation is not shook, his world hasn't collapsed. See, he's got the power of Jesus Christ inside of him through the Holy Spirit allowing him to be struck with adversity and look the devil in the face and say, "you can't destroy me... you can't even slow me down!" He resembles the faith of Joseph when he says, "What you meant for harm, God meant it for good."
Showing strength in the light of adversity is a message to the world that says, "I don't have to worry because God is in control." My friend told me after being diagnosed, that he had, three days prior, read in his quiet time with the Lord James 1:2-4 "Count it all joy my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
You know what it means to count something as joy? It doesn't mean you need to be "happy" per-say but it is the same way of saying "privileged." The Lord allows trials in believer's lives so that they can grow and mature from it, just like it says in Hebrews 12 regarding the Lord chastening those whom He loves so that they'd grow up with a fatherly discipline that matures them into better human beings who are more capable of giving Glory to God. We can not only take trials in our lives as a means to growing in spiritual maturity, but PROOF that we are loved by the Lord as a father loves his son therefore disciplining him.
As my friend faces surgery and uncertainty on the outcome of treatment, he knows the ULTIMATE outcome: eternity with Christ no matter what. That alone is more comforting than a lifetime assured without cancer, or disease free for that matter.
My friend's endurance is not natural, it is God given because of his relationship with Jesus Christ. Do you have that same assurance of your salvation that he does allowing him to face even cancer with a peaceful and trusting mindset?