Joel's Journey: My Dearly Beloved Son.....

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

My Dearly Beloved Son.....

*** Picture added*** Do you know what kind this is?.....its a Christmas Cactus and I have had it for we think about 10 years and it has never bloomed.....until now.....at this season.......I am enjoying the richness of God's goodness to me through His creation.....that there is life....that even in the unseen, things that lay dormant or hidden there are treasures....but they may or may not be given, but when they are, its beautiful.......

I could have told Joel I love you until the sun no longer shone or until the clouds were to melt away and it would not have been enough times for me, I could have given him a lot of things that a mommy would give to her son, I could have given affection and said many endearing words to him and called him "my dearly beloved son," like unto Paul giving affection to dear Timothy (II Tim. 1:2) But as I read this verse, To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord (v.2) I could not have given Joel grace, mercy and peace from God. I could have demonstrated and told him about it, and we did, but these three, I could not have given him. So as I thought about what Joel has already received, it brought great comfort in knowing what I could not give, the Lord has already imparted it to him. What is our life if we know not the grace, the power of God, the mercy, undeserved favor and peace, within our hearts, the forgiveness of sin. As parents to our dearly beloved children this should be our greatest prayer, our earnest plea to the Father that each one would be given the gift of faith from the Lord and so this morning I rejoice that Joel has already experienced this grace, mercy and peace from God!! May it be the prayer from our lips and may our cheeks sting with tears and our knees be bent until it be so. Please know that I am so very grateful to you for the prayers you have offered up on my, our behalf, it brings my heart joy to know that you are mindful of my tears and ache, I do "feel" the prayers of the saints!

Cindy

I spelled this wrong last time, I hope it did not go to anything unfavorable, but to download Joel's Journey you can go to Behemoth.com (with Vision Forum)

2 comments:

-stephanie- said...: I hate that you have to go through this sorrow and pain, but know that God is using you, to teach me how to be with my children. thank you.; October 29, 2008 at 1:16 PM
sumi said...: Hi Cindy, I'm just dropping by to say hello and to send you a big cyber-hug from a momma who knows...

May Jesus hold you extra close tonight,
Sumi; October 30, 2008 at 9:49 PM

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Joel's Story

Joel, our 11th of 13 and a twin of Josiah, at age 3 was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, a childhood cancer, on December 6th, 2006. Joel had three perfect years of health and he and Josiah celebrated their 3rd birthday Sept. 13th, 2006. The first of Oct. Joel started having unexplained fevers for a few days and would return to active play. After the fourth round of fevers we took him to our family Dr. which they said his iron was low, so we treated that for a few weeks and took him back only to have his hemo. showing lower than before. We were referred to a hematologists and saw him a few weeks with blood checks twice a week. At a visit on Dec. 4th we showed the Dr. the bumps, (which were tumors but we did not know at the time) on Joel's head and he was very concerned and we were told we needed to admit him immediately and start extensive tests the following day. Joel went through rigorous testing and then the dreaded results were given. Joel was at a stage IV the most extensive stage, but we were hopeful that the Lord would use the means of Chemotherapy treatments to restore Joel's body. Joel endured 8 1/2 days in the hospital, came home for Christmas, and returned for his second round of chemo Jan. 3, 2007. Joel had a seizure that night after midnight and went into a coma due to a tumor bleeding in his head area and causing his brain to swell. After tests the following days, the Dr. declared Joel "brain dead" and took us to court to force us to take Joel off life support, as we did not agree with the medical field's definition of death. Our family sought to stand with the scripture, "life is in the blood,"and until Joel's heart quit beating naturally, he was living. We were making arrangements to bring him home and on January 23, 2007 his little heart stopped beating and he went to be with the Lord Jesus in heaven. Our lives are changed forever. God is faithful in the midst of this trial and we look with great hope to be with him someday.