Sağlıklı Olsun

Recently I've had the chance to learn what it's like to be ill in a country that values health, possibly higher than my home country views health. Sağlıklı olsun - may it be healthy. I've heard this statement time and time again when asking friends about babies and children. It'll all be fine so long as everyone is healthy. Earlier today I think my neighbor told me sağlıklı kal - stay healthy. A very interesting comment as I was calling her to tell her about the results of some recent labs that came out not exactly healthy!
This same neighbor worries about my health probably more than my parents do. When I first started having symptoms of an old disease, she wanted to know why I was going to the hospital, what tests I was getting done, if I was happy with my doctor, etc. I explained to her briefly that I didn't want to be on a certain pill any longer because my mom had cancer and this pill increases the risk of cancer. Her response was to tell me that she didn't like all this negative talk coming out of my mouth. In her mind, and in many of the minds surrounding me, if you talk about ill health in this way you're tempting fate. If you just think positively...
It all comes down to one thing. My neighbor (and almost every other person around me) has no real hope in the life to come. This particular neighbor happens to believe that there is no afterlife. The rest of my friends believe in an after-life, but they have no assurance as to whether or not theirs will be pleasant or torturous. So health at all costs. I'm back to square one again - bad test results and not a whole lot of answers but a whole lot of possible labs in my near future (for those who are wondering, I'm not dying but my endocrine system is once again not functioning properly). The difference between my neighbor and I is simple. My hope is not in my health, but truly in the life to come and in the One Who has promised me this life. So next week when my neighbor comes back to town I want to try again to explain why I'm not afraid of being ill. All prayers welcome.