Saturday, March 29, 2014

Never alone..not even at Bass Pro...

Survival bracelets.  Jacob loves to make them.  So how do you pass time at the hospital?  That's right you make bracelets - well Jacob makes them.


So yesterday Jacob decided it was time to make some survival bracelets.  Given that is NOT a video game I'm all in.  So I start calling around, looking for surplus stores where you can find this stuff.  I made one call to Bass Pro in Denver and get the operator.  I told her what I was looking for and she transferred me to a young lady in the sunglasses department.

Survival Bracelets

"So do you have any parachute chord?" I ask. "You mean to make bracelets?" she asks.  "Yeah.  I have a son that's going to be in the hospital for a long time."  "I'm sorry - what's wrong?"  "Cancer." I said.  The young lady asks me if I can hold on a minute then gets back on the line and says "I have two bracelet kits in stock - will you be coming today to pick them up?"  And I told her I would.

So I drive to Bass Pro and get directions to this young lady's station in the store.  I arrive and introduce myself as being "that guy".  She pull's out a huge bag containing a shirt, a hat, a beginner's fly rod, fishing tackle and a pair of polarized sunglasses - then announces that the bracelet kits are down in there somewhere.  "Take it and tell him to get better she says".

I almost lost it. It was overwhelming to think that there are strangers who care for our Jacob. Another pointer from the Master "You are not alone".  We  ...are not alone.  So if you ever feel alone, know this - you are not.

So we make bracelets, we get blessed by people God puts in our path. We do chemo therapy, he gets sick and cracks a joke about it.  I hope, I really hope that as nurses and doctors and friends come in this room Jesus is made much of.  I hope that as we do our laps around the hall and we meet people they sense his presence and smell the hope that is Jesus.

As I write this, Jacob sleeps. Chemo is catching up..."not fun" as Jacob says.  We are hard pressed and tired but we are never alone.

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power 
is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; 
perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, 
but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, 
so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive 
are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be 
revealed in our mortal body. "
II Corinthians 4 7-11

And you know what?  Life is being revealed in all of this.  Love the Lord and hug your kids today.

Marshall


2 comments:

  1. SO amazing!!! Grateful with you & for you, that God is showing up in practical, encouraging, FUN ways -- amidst the trials.
    Love you all to pieces!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. That is fantastic. What a blessing. My eyes hurt just from reading about it.

    ReplyDelete