Posted by Dennis D Broadbooks on 12/4/07 5:19pm
Msg #224276

A First for Me Today.

I had an appointment early this afternoon with a couple in their home & one of the 1st things they asked me as I came in is if I had a cold. It just so happens that I've been fighting one for a little over a week now & let them know I was still sniffling a little bit. They asked if I didn't mind they'd like me to wear a surgical mask as their 8 year old son was suffering from cancer & he was in the living room next to the kitchen table where we were signing. I said I didn't mind at all. The signing was conducted with me wearing the mask the entire time I was there.

As we concluded the mother went into the living room to tend to their son & I asked the father what form of cancer the son had. He said brain cancer. I asked him how many surgeries the son had undergone & he replied: "5, 6, or 7...I don't remember exactly. He's in the terminal stages right now." What this meant was that the child sitting not 30 feet from me was within weeks or days of dying. The father & I talked about how they were coping with this heartbreak for the next 30 minutes. He mentioned numerous times how their faith in God & prayers of others were keeping them from falling into despair.

The son's name is Aven & I'd ask anyone who feels so led to be in prayer for this family. Perhaps this should be posted on the "Leisure" forum...but I felt led to post it here since it was part of my "work" today.

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 12/4/07 5:23pm
Msg #224277

Re: Aven and family in my prayers n/m

Reply by Frenchie/TN on 12/4/07 5:25pm
Msg #224280

How sad. You did the right thing posting this here. I think I would have had a hard time to keep my composure. Let's all keep this family in our prayers.

Reply by Ernest__CT on 12/4/07 5:30pm
Msg #224281

Thank you, Dennis. Prayers are going out. n/m

Reply by jba/fl on 12/4/07 6:02pm
Msg #224292

I am so thankful it was you doing this signing _ God does

work in mysterious ways and I'm sure He took you on this assignment, not the other way around. Bless you for your composure and comfort in this trying time. My prayers will include this wonderful family as well.

Reply by Linda Juenger on 12/4/07 6:15pm
Msg #224296

Re: I am so thankful it was you doing this signing _ God does

You brought tears to my eyes reading your post. I'm a softie for children as most people are. I can't imagine what they are going through. Thank goodness they have the faith to carry them through this.

Reply by sjp on 12/4/07 6:18pm
Msg #224299

Re: I am so thankful it was you doing this signing _ God does

I will keep them all in my prayers.

Reply by Dennis D Broadbooks on 12/4/07 6:29pm
Msg #224301

You Know...

...as I was traveling to this assignment I wasn't in the best of moods due to the fact I made several wrong turns (the family lives in a rural area) & arrived 20 minutes late. I was thinking of how much gas money I'd wasted with the extra miles I put in & how I really wasn't being compensated fairly to begin with. All the usual worldly things were whirling through my mind. But what sticks with me the most about what the father said was how much trust & faith in God their son had demonstrated to them as parents. Aven was the one being an encouragement to them during this time of great need, not the other way around. They're a Christian family & are experiencing the truth that life is a vapor; but they also know they will see their son again. I walked away from this home overwhelmed, yet uplifted by their testimony.

Reply by BrendaTx on 12/4/07 7:04pm
Msg #224309

Wow.

Isn't it amazing how our sense of entitlement takes over when the little crappy things annoy us? And, then we encounter a child dying of cancer and we know that what we should be doing is the happy dance every single time we encounter an annoyance because we have life in which to be annoyed and we have our own children in our lives to be annoyed with, too.

I appreciate the reminder of my blessings and yes, I will pray.

Reply by Lora/FL on 12/4/07 9:32pm
Msg #224338

Re: Wow.

Ditto, ditto, ditto. It is ironic how many moments we experience in this profession that give us a better perspective of life and what our priorities should be.
Thank you for reminding us through your experience.