This past Sunday marked the last chemo treatment my little friend Amanda had to endure. What a strong girl. Amanda was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor in her 9 year old body in the fall of 2006. She has been through surgery, chemo, radiation and the hospital ‘test your patience’ facilities involved with all those things for over a year. She has finally completed her last of 12 chemo treatments and the scans show the caner is gone. Over the past year she has put on weight, her smile came back and her mobility and coordination has increased. She lost her hair and instead of wearing a wig, she is proudly showing off her new peach fuzz. She holds her head high and plays all the games the other kids play, even if it takes her twice as long to complete them. She memorizes her Bible verses and completes her school work. Watching her through this, I realize she has given me the strength to keep going through my daily life.
How can I complain that the bag I am carrying is too heavy? Or the block I have to walk around is too inconvenient? Or the groceries I have to carry are too heavy? What justification do I have for thinking my life could be better when I see the struggles Amanda and her family have persevered through? The testimony of their faith throughout this period in time has been phenomenal. Their faith in the Lord is unshakable. Would mine be as strong? I’d like to say of course, definitely. I would turn to the God I believe in and trust with my heart and my soul. But the doubt inside of me reminds me that I am human and I, in my time of need and desperation, might not turn to the All Powerful One. I pray I never need to know the answer to the question and face the tragic circumstances of this one family, but this is life. We are here to live and as much as we plan and try to control our lives and our days, tomorrow is not a promise. I pray I can make an example of myself by turning to the Lord in my daily struggles and fears and build my endurance to stay strong in the Lord and turn my worries and troubles over to him. But as I grow, I will continue to watch the one little girl who has made such an impact on my life, my family and my community without even knowing it.
Amanda, you are my hero!
How can I complain that the bag I am carrying is too heavy? Or the block I have to walk around is too inconvenient? Or the groceries I have to carry are too heavy? What justification do I have for thinking my life could be better when I see the struggles Amanda and her family have persevered through? The testimony of their faith throughout this period in time has been phenomenal. Their faith in the Lord is unshakable. Would mine be as strong? I’d like to say of course, definitely. I would turn to the God I believe in and trust with my heart and my soul. But the doubt inside of me reminds me that I am human and I, in my time of need and desperation, might not turn to the All Powerful One. I pray I never need to know the answer to the question and face the tragic circumstances of this one family, but this is life. We are here to live and as much as we plan and try to control our lives and our days, tomorrow is not a promise. I pray I can make an example of myself by turning to the Lord in my daily struggles and fears and build my endurance to stay strong in the Lord and turn my worries and troubles over to him. But as I grow, I will continue to watch the one little girl who has made such an impact on my life, my family and my community without even knowing it.
Amanda, you are my hero!
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