My entry tonight is written by fellow WCS teacher/coach Nathan Wagner. It's a beautiful story of faith and hope. I would really encourage you to copy and paste the link Nathan has at the end of his writing!
Fourth grade was a year of changes for me--in lots of ways. Looking back, I pin that year as significant in determining who I would become today. It was the end of the fall semester in 1995 that my family discovered my dad had cancer. I'll never forget the night my parents broke the news to us. I was scared; I cried. I was the oldest, and the word cancer meant a lot more to me than my younger brothers and baby sister. At the time, in my fourth grade mind, it meant the end. I stayed up late that night with my dad, crying, hurting, angry, doubtful, questioning. My parents are good people, great Christian examples, and have always been that. I couldn't understand why God would let that happen to my dad--it wasn't right and it wasn't fair. My dad's response to those questions would shape the rest of my life. His response: I don't know why this is happening, but we're going to trust God to take us through it. There was no doctor assured future at that point, just faith. While God did heal my father, it was his proclamation of faith that will last with me.
Now, over 15 years later, one of my family's closest friends is battling cancer. She has two boys and a little girl--all not too far from the age I was when my dad had cancer. I can't help but think, in a small way, maybe God has us go through those hard times to be better apt to encourage others later in life. Cheryl, who babysat me as a kid and is referred to as our "cousin", has a beautiful family outside Nashville. They've made the same commitment to trust God in this challenging time and to share their story of hurt, fear, and faith with all those around. Because it seems that in times of our darkest needs, its sharing our faith--raw and real--that gives the glory to God and ensures a legacy that will last far longer than our mortal bodies. I encourage you to read this blog for an incredible story of one family's ongoing journey of faith: http://cherylstory.tumblr.com/
God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
www.hawleybooks.com
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com
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