Know What's Worser?

We got an early phone call this morning that David's mom was being taken to the hospital. She woke up feeling very dizzy and her blood pressure was through the roof. Last night, Christopher had talked us into letting him sleep in our bed, so he was awakened with the rest of us when the phone rang.

As David was getting ready to go to the hospital, Christopher looked at me with those big brown eyes and said,

"Can I tell you something?"

Not sure what he had on his mind, I said,

"Sure!"

He said, "You know what's even worser than being sick and going to the hospital?" His answer to this question was a single word that broke my heart...

"CANCER"

It breaks my heart that at the tender age of seven, he not only knows this word and what it means, but has lost two precious people in his life as a result of it. He followed up his single-word response with an understanding of what this word means far beyond his years. He said, "Cancer is something that takes over your body and then you die." While there are people who have lived long lives after this horrible diagnosis, for so many, his simple definition was true.

Last November, my cousin Karen lost her battle with colon cancer. Then just a little more than a week ago, my friend Kim lost her husband to brain cancer (see post below). Kim and Mike's son Cole is Christopher's friend (being only 8 months apart, they've practically known each other their whole lives). I think that hit Christopher harder than I realized.

When Karen lost her battle with cancer, Christopher could only think of one thing. "Does that mean Jonathan (Karen's youngest son) doesn't have a Mommy anymore?" When Mike lost his battle, Christopher didn't ask about Cole losing his Daddy...he just seemed to understand. Immediately after hearing the news, he began to pray. Later, I heard him ask friends at church to pray for his friend Cole because his Daddy died.

It just breaks my heart that my little boy and his friend have to know what cancer is...and how heartbreaking it can be. Please pray for a cure!

Today, A Little Boy Lost His Daddy

About 8 or so years ago, I joined the 2nd Grade team at Golden Terrace Elementary School as a long-term sub. I met a precious friend while teaching there...Kim. My friend Kim and her family are Jewish. I am a Christian. But, outside of that, we found we had so much in common that we became fast friends! Kim and I both struggled with infertility. It was while I was on maternity leave after Christopher was born that I found out my friend Kim was expecting! Eight months later, she gave birth to her pride and joy...a precious little boy named Cole!

Christopher and Cole are best buddies...just like their Mommies! :) While most of my time was spent with Kim & Cole, I did get to know her sweet hubby, Mike over the years and our families have been friends for many years. Several years ago, Mike, Kim, & Cole moved to the east coast of Florida. Mike was starting a new business with his brother. As often as our schedules would allow, Kim, Cole, Christopher and I would meet at Sawgrass Mills Mall for some Mommy/Son fun time. Occasionally, we would even let the hubbies join us on these trips. ;)

About a year and a half ago, Kim called me with the news that Mike had brain cancer. It's one of those moments that you never forget where you are when it happens. I was making Avon deliveries and had just pulled into a neighborhood. I had to pull over to the side of the road. Kim asked me to pray, and pray I did! I prayed for them. My Bible & Life Group at church prayed for them. Friends everywhere prayed for them.

I wish I could tell you that all those prayers were answered with a miracle. But, you probably already figured out from the title of this blog that wasn't the case. Mike fought a long, hard battle with this horrible disease. At 4:30pm on Thursday, April 7, 2011, Mike lost his hard-fought battle with brain cancer. He was surrounded by family and was not in any pain.

I cannot even begin to imagine what my precious friend Kim and her sweet son Cole are going through right now...but I'm praying for them and will be here for them if/when they need me. I do know that even though we don't understand it, God is still in control!

Tonight, we shared with Christopher that his friend Cole's dad died. After a few questions about how he died, Christopher said, "I need to pray!" He bowed his head in his hands and was there for several minutes. When he lifted his head, David told him that we needed to pray for Cole and his Mommy. Christopher said, "That's what I was doing!"

Please join us in praying for this precious family. We love them so much...and we know God loves them even more than we do! :)

A Most Important Decision

It started like any other day. We had completed a morning of homeschooling and were out making Avon deliveries and running a couple of errands. As we usually do when riding around town in the car, Christopher and I were talking about a variety of topics...including his recent inability to play any games that involve guns due to him pointing his finger at me like a gun when I said something he didn't like the day before. We don't oppose guns in general (growing up in Alabama with a Dad & brother who love hunting, I don't think I could)...but we do promote the safe use of guns, including, but not limited to, not pointing them at people (including the finger variety, because I believe what is practiced in childhood often becomes the basis for what will be done in adulthood).

Christopher was asking some very good questions in general, and eventually our discussing came around to why pointing guns at people are bad...which we have talked about in basic terms before, but this time, Christopher's questions went deeper. This discussion led into what happens to people when they die. It was from this discussion that Christopher mentioned that he loved Jesus and he wanted to go to Heaven someday, and not the "other place that's dark and painful" (his words, not mine). I asked him if he wanted to accept Jesus in his heart and he said, "YES!" very emphatically! Since we were in the car, I suggested we wait until we got home and let Daddy be a part of this important time. Christopher agreed that would be a good idea and added that way I wouldn't have to close my eyes while driving! ;)

Our conversation moved to what it means to be a Christian and what happens when you accept Jesus as your Savior. We've had similar talks in the car before, but this one was different...more indepth. He really wanted to know all there was to know! I wish I could remember the whole conversation...why is it that there's never a video camera running when I need one?

When we got home later that evening, we prayed together as a family and Christopher asked Jesus to be his Savior. It was one of the proudest moments of my life! What a blessing it was to be there for every step of the process!

Later, I realized that I was Christopher's age when I prayed a very similar prayer! It was on Mother's Day that I walked down the aisle of my grandfather's church and made my public profession of faith. Things will come full-circle for me this weekend as Christopher makes that same public profession of his own faith!