I have been overwhelmed by an abundance of blogs of people in need of prayers. I suppose that this is the way God works... people are put into your path especially when they need it... but yesterday a friend of mine posted about blogs that you read.
I opened the post and it said how she had gotten involved in a random persons blog and she regularly signs on for her "harper fix". It's a great blog... in fact, if you want to read more... it's called Kelly's Korner Blog and she has a gorgeous little girl, Harper, who had some difficulties in the beginning. But she has a fabulous style about her and she is quite fun to read. :)
But, yesterdays post led me to another blog. A blog about Cora. It is NOT for the faint of heart, I assure you. It is a terribly sad yet oddly, uplifting, blog about a little girl diagnosed with cancer. She went to be with Jesus three weeks after diagnosis and her family could most definitely use your prayers. But I started to cry when I opened the blog. I continued to cry when I went back to her diagnosis. And I was openly sobbing when I read that she had gone to be with Jesus. For some reason, this little girl has touched my heart. Her family has touched my heart and I cannot get them out of my mind.
Do you ever notice that when you are first pregnant you notice ALL pregnant people? It seems like everyone is pregnant. Or, when you first have your angel... everywhere you look, people are walking with infants? Now, I am NOT saying that anyone I love or hold dear is battling with this. It's just that all of a sudden I am recognizing it.
It seems that lately I keep reading or hearing about these instances with children being diagnosed with cancer. A friend of mine from high school has a five year old son (Matthew) who has leukemia. He is doing tremendously well and her younger son was an exact match for his bone marrow and was able to be a donor, thank you Lord. He is doing so very well.
Another friend of mine, a little sister of sorts, Danielle, is battling with an AGGRESSIVE form of cancer and had to have something like 200 nodes taken out of her abdomen. She continues to be uplifting and positive about her situation. She is, and always has been, an inspiration to everyone around her.
I mentioned to Jason that I was feeling called to volunteer at Cook Children's Hospital. He thinks I should wait until Joe gets a little bit older and that is probably wise. He knows me better than I know myself and I know that this would rip my heart out of my chest. But volunteering isn't supposed to be easy is it? I don't know. It scares me, but I do also want to help.
I am feeling rather vulnerable in wake of reading about this little angel and then I heard of another one today. This is the story about Tuesday. Tuesday was also diagnosed and went to be with Jesus. Why?
If you could please keep these people in your prayers or in your thoughts, they could most certainly use it. Danielle, Jess and Joel, Tuesdays family, Matthew Gray and I am going to be selfish and ask for you to pray for my family too. All of this scares me. I know it is completely irrational... but can you please pray that I gain the insight to know why all of this has come tapping on my doorstep?
5 comments:
There is a purpose to everything. I find that when a number of things with the same theme come knocking at the door, I need to step back and think about what God is trying to tell me.
Sometimes, the deluge of negative things is a call to prayer. It's so easy for us all to get too busy to turn to God on a daily basis. Praying for others helps those we pray for, but there is the added benefit of it helping us as well as we strengthen our own faith through the prayers.
As well, when we hear so many stories of pain, especially those involving children, it reminds us to be grateful for the blessings in our lives. It reminds us to hold our loved ones a little longer, have more patience with them, be more present when we are with them.
That is the silver lining on the dark cloud of others' suffering. If it makes us more aware of our own blessings, then that is the joy that comes from the sorrow of others.
And that is a good thing. We all need to be more joyful in this life. Sometimes it takes the difficulties of others to make us see that.
I think if you look in the right places, you'll always find what you need to see - an abundance of good news...or an abundance of sad news in need of support. So maybe now is your time to give.
Whatever you decide to do, I know you'll be great at it.
I volunteered at TCH for about a year and it was very rewarding. I chose to volunteer in the 'short stay' wing of the hospital because I knew I was not mentally strong enough to handle other areas. The kids I worked with (and their siblings) were there for things like appendectomies, but were just as in need for a play break (I worked in a playroom) as the ones there for weeks at a time. I recommend volunteering highly, I think you would get a lot out of it
I've noticed it as well and feel like maybe for me, it might be because I am also grieving and possibly I am looking for others going through similar life events. (such as miscarriage or the losses of babies or children or those diagnosed with chronic / fatal conditions.) I'm not sure...I feel like it may not be healthy for me to become too attached to reading about all of these other people's struggles when I have my very own to tackle, but I almost feel like it is supposed to be this way and that it is helping me throughout my grieving process to send prayers to others in need and be able to support one another through these most difficult of times. I don't know...but I have personally been far more aware of so many families struggling with these types of situations as of recent and can't help to think that my finding these other people is all part of God's plan for me to show me His plan and His glory through it all.
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