Tuesday, March 16, 2010

A Request for Prayer

In my last post, I talked about cancer and how many people are affected by it. It has struck close to home again...this time touching a 3-year-old boy named Jedidiah Harper. His mom, Lori, and I have developed quite a good friendship...even though we've actually only met each other once. She has been so supportive of us through our journey, especially since Hannah went to Heaven. She's probably the most faithful reader of this blog, judging by the frequency of her comments! I even have a link to her blog, "Harper House", from my blog. Yesterday, they found out that Jed has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer, and tomorrow, they will be at the Oncology Clinic at Arkansas Children's Hospital. I've shared often about how overwhelming that first visit to the oncology clinic is...you're still just barely able to process the fact that your child has cancer, and suddenly you are sitting in a waiting room with all these bald children. You have to sign permission forms that describe in detail the devastating side effects of the very treatments that are designed to save your child's life (including causing different types of cancer in the future). You hear all these medical terms that you've never heard before in your life, and you have to somehow absorb all this information and make rational, life-altering decisions. You realize that whatever control you thought you had over your life is gone, and that you are going to have to place your precious child's care in someone else's hands. And all you really want to do is just take your child home, tuck them into their own bed, and pretend none of this ever happened. Please pray for Jed and his mom and dad as they go through these frightening experiences tomorrow, and join me in praying for complete healing of Jed's cancer.




In these kind of situations, you just want to ask God, "Why?" I've found that rather than asking "Why", it is much more constructive to ask, "For what purpose?" In chapter 9 of John, the story is told of Jesus healing a blind man. Jesus was asked, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" His response: "Neither this man nor His parents sinned...but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life" (John 9:2-3). There is a purpose in suffering, and that is to display the glory of God. It is a huge comfort to me to know that our suffering has a purpose, and it will not go to waste, as long as we are willing to display the glory of God through it. The Harper family is the kind of family who will do that, and I am looking forward to seeing how God will display His work through their lives.

5 comments:

Melissa McCone said...

I will pray for this family. I will pray for strength and for God to heal this sweet little boy. We can't help but ask "Why", but God ALWAYS has a plan. Thanks for sharing.
Melissa

Bishop Family said...

Jill,
Praying for this family-
By the way, I read your blog too, I just don't always have the words to comment. You touch more people than you know! Keep writing!
I found a great company that publishes blogs- I printed mine to have a hard copy. It is called blog to print. I can send you more info if you are interested.

Take care, praying for your sweet family!

Kim Bishop

Sherri Smith said...

I listened to a pastor on tv the other day and he was talking about truths about God that are hard to accept but no less true. One he talked about was that God is more concerned with using us to further His Kingdom than in our actual happiness. At first I was taken aback by the way the pastor worded it because surely God wants us to "be happy," but then I thought about Hannah and her storm and how there are people who will now be in Heaven due to your family's suffering. I, too, am praying for Jed's complete healing and thanking God that Jed's story is already being used to "fish for men" as Hannah did!

Joyce McCone said...

I am praying for Jed and his family....Jill, keep writing....you inspire me at times when I feel so "un-inspirable"....is that even a word....that beautiful little Jed...and your beautiful Hannah and so many others...how can you not ask WHY GOD????? Often, I just want to know WHY....I know He has a plan but WHY the children????? He will tell us someday...

Teresa @ Grammy Girlfriend said...

Praying for this family...Have gone back and read your story....My heart hurts for you..
Doing a little Sunday morning blog hopping...Its snowing here.
I have 2 GREAT GIVEAWAYS that I will draw for tonight ...
stop by and leave a comment...That's all that's needed.
Teresa
http://teresa-grammygirlfriend.blogspot.com/