Blessings

I just can't get my mind off one sick little boy.

I think intuitively, we all know we are pretty blessed. We've got a job, a family, our health, and don't have to wonder where our next meal comes from. We are so much better off than most of the world.

Yet, it's still easy to complain. Maybe your son  has turned into a teenaged girl. Maybe your kids won't sleep a wink past seven dot zero zero ever. Maybe you feel you are working so hard but not making much progress in your goal of losing weight. And really, such is life. And if we never speak of these things that are our thorns in our side, we are probably not presenting a true picture of our lives.

However, it often takes the catastrophe of another person to remind us of how minor our own struggles are. The obvious, of course, in the world is Japan right now and the chaos that has become their lives. For me right now even more so, it is the trials a small boy is undergoing.

The boy I shared my first kiss with, and was my first official boyfriend, but whom I remember more as a very good friend during those painful middle school years, has a son, who in many ways resembles my own. He is seven years old, has a peanut allergy, and loves Star Wars. However, unlike my son, he is fighting for his life. I recently learned of the situation through my sister and Facebook, and since reading his story, can't get him out of my head. My friend writes of this struggle in such a real, raw way, which I so admire, and which makes it almost impossible not to try to put yourself in his place and wonder what it feels like. To simply imagine the monstrosity it would be to have to watch your child writhe in pain from the medications and the side effects of fighting cancer, and not be able to do anything for him, is unthinkable. All the while, questioning if in the end the fight he faces daily will be enough to ensure his survival.

I pray that I might never have to endure such a thing, and give thanks for what I've been given. If you'd like to pray for Joey or read more on his story, click here.