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Happy Thanksgiving
By Julie | November 21, 2007
A few days ago I brainstormed a mental list of the things I’m thankful for, partly for Thanksgiving, partly because being thankful minimizes the effect of the bad things we put up with in life. My list was pretty typical: I’m thankful for my husband, my kids, my brothers, sisters, parents, friends, and dogs (even if they are hyperactive punks on occasion). I’m thankful for the relationships I have with each one of them. I’m thankful we have enough food in our house, and our bills are paid. I’m thankful to God, for all He’s revealed about Himself to me, for carrying me when I can’t carry myself. I’m thankful for cars to drive, and places to go. I’m thankful for clothes to wear, a bed to rest in, and a house to live in. I’m sure my mind kept the list going. But my list made me feel better about life. I think that’s what they’re meant to do.
Then, last night we went our Tuesday night Bible study and were informed of some heartbreaking news. RJ, a four year old boy who goes to our church had an MRI done yesterday because he’d been having headaches. A tumor was found on the stem of his brain. His father, a friend of ours and someone truly loved in our church, rushed him an hour away to a hospital where they discovered two additional tumors on his brain. Yesterday morning their life was normal. Last night, this precious four year old boy was fighting for his life as his family looked on. When I tucked my kids into bed I stayed there a little longer, studied there faces a little more, and realized I have barely scratched the surface of everything I have to be thankful for. I was looking at my kids peacefully sleeping, not wondering if they’d make it through a life threatening surgery, and if they did, what would life be like after?
We’ve had a prayer chain going for RJ, and many of us have tried to get him added to others. Tonight I talked to several church members and friends as we got updates of the surgery. Each one said the same thing: we have been able to think of nothing else, and we cannot imagine how you get through something this horrible as a parent. And, Thanksgiving has a whole new meaning now.
Things happen so fast, last Sunday I watched how cute RJ looked sitting in his chair beside his sisters at Sunday school eating a Pop-Tart. Today, doctors performed an eight hour surgery on him. They believe they removed the entire tumor at the brain stem. They believe it is cancer, and it could’ve spread down his spinal column. They did not operate on the other two tumors, because one is too large and they want to shrink it with chemotherapy first.
So today, wherever are, whatever people you end up being around, please, just love ‘em, and appreciate them. Life is short, and you don’t get any promises. Today things may seem normal, but there are no guarantees it will be next week, tomorrow, or even an hour from now. Remember to be thankful for your health, and the health of those around you. If you can, please say a prayer for little RJ, and for everyone who is spending this holiday in hospitals, the patients, the visiting friends and family, the people who work there.
Life is a gift, without guarantees.
Topics: Encouragement, Holidays | No Comments »
