Faith like a Child

This month is Childhood Cancer Awareness month. This month there will be walks, runs, and ceremonies held to honor and remember those children who have fought this terrible disease. You will see commercials on TV featuring these children. One of the specialities I have thought about going into is Pediatric Oncology. I am inspired by the resilience these children show in their fight. Their families challenge me in my faith. I feel called to help those in their most desperate time of need. While I'm not sure yet if pediatric oncology is the speciality God has called me to,  these families still hold a special place in  my heart.

I'm sure many of you have know a child or family who has been touched by childhood cancer. I know two. I've written about their mother's before, but today I would like to share more of their story. Over the past year these families have demonstrated their faith in God and love for each other. I have grown in my faith by watching these families struggle through this journey. Here is their story.

The story begins August 3, 2010. Richard Lee, 3 years old,  was diagnosed with a Wilms Tumor. A Wilms Tumor is a kidney tumor in young children. It usually found in children around age 3. Richard Lee's parents bought him to the emergency room because he had not being feeling well. They left with a cancer diagnosis. They discovered that the cancer had spread to his abdomen and lungs. Over the next 9 days Richard Lee would undergo surgery to remove his kidney and to put in a port for his chemo treatments. He would also begin receiving his first treatments. Over the next several months he would undergo radiation and chemo treatments. Our church rallied around his family and his family called on the Lord. Over the next year I would see an amazing example of what it means to have faith in God. His mother, Nancy, choose to rejoice in God no matter what each day brought. She rejoiced eat day she got to spend with her son and her other children. She said that each day was a gift from God. This really challenged me in my own walk with the Lord. There were many days when school was tough and I would find myself complaining. After seeing this example in Nancy I decided to do the same. I choose to see each day as a gift from God. I choose to rejoice in the day that He had given me to matter what happened.

Andrew was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia on June 2, 2011. ALL is the most common form of childhood leukemia. Andrew has a favorable type. Andrew had a port placed and began chemo. I babysat Andrew since he was a baby. I'm very close with his mother Amy. Amy and her husband Warren were leaders in the youth group when I was a teenager. Amy has been a mentor of mine for years and has become a very close friend and sister in Christ. A friend called and told me about Andrew and I immediately headed to the Children's hospital at St. Francis. When Amy opened the door and saw me standing there, she said she wasn't surprised to see me. It was an amazing experience for me to be able to minister to this sweet friend of mine. It was like things had been reversed. Yet in those moments while Amy needed to be ministered to, she continued to minister to my heart. She told me she didn't know what the future held, but she knew that the Lord was in control. Throughout the summer Andrew was in and out of the hospital for fevers. He was able to start 4th grade and spend some time in class before becoming a homebound student for awhile. Andrew continues with his treatment. His treatment will go on for the next 3 years.

Andrew and Richard Lee's families were very close before their boys became sick. They have remained close and ministered to each other in this time of need. The families have chosen to put God first in their lives. They are raising boys that know that God is in control. The have chosen to walk by faith. They don't know what the future holds for them or their boys, but they do know that the lives of RIchard Lee and Andrew are in God's hands. While in the hospital last August, Richard Lee said "God made me special." Those are sweet words to hear from a three year old. You see Richard Lee gets it, God made him special, just like God makes all of us special. Children have a special place in God's heart. When children came to Jesus the disciples tried to make them leave, but Jesus told them to let the children come to Him. Isaiah 11is a prophecy about the coming of the Messiah. It says that a little child will lead them. All though this passage specifically speaks of Christ's coming, it has application to our lives. Jesus said that the kingdom belonged to the Children. He went on to say that you have to have the faith of a child to enter the kingdom of Heaven. When Christ said this he didn't mean that we don't grow up in our faith, but he is referring to the blind faith that children have. Children will believe what you tell them. They don't seek for you to prove to it them. In our society many people want a scientific experiment to prove the existence of God. The faith of a child is one of the sweetest things. Today my challenge is that you have the faith of a child. The faith that can say God made me special when you don't feel special. Faith that can withstand the wind, rain, and storms that come.

"God made me special"

Richard Lee

If you are interested in helping fight childhood cancer here are some events that are happening this month:
1. Join me and Richard Lee and Andrew's families this Saturday as we walk for CureSearch. CureSearch is a nationwide program that works with current pediatric oncology research. We are walking to raise money for this. Registration starts at 8am by Memorial High School. Here's the website for more info:  http://blba.us/i.asp?id=476447
-334350937-1

2. This next Monday September 26, Chili's will be donating all the profit for the day to St, Jude's Research Hospital. You can also visit chilis.com for more information on how to donate to St. Jude