I have never been shy in regards to shedding tears. Anyone who has spent a significant amount of time with me has likely seen me cry at some point. I can recall numerous occasions throughout the years at various church camps or on mission trips when I became overwhelmed by my emotions and the tears began to freely flow. Likewise, tears were certainly shed during the final years of my mother's life as we walked the road of cancer before she died. Of course, there have been other instances that I cannot recall off hand; I am a crier. To me, it is natural. It is part of who I am and I have never felt inclined to fight that personality trait. No one would fault me for shedding tears over the last few weeks. First, there was the news that I have Colon Cancer delivered on January 19th. That news was followed by a surgery date on February 10th. In the meantime, I had what seemed like an infinite amount of time on my hands, time on my hands to think. Once the surgery was complete, there were painful moments and long nights during my brief hospital stay. I have indeed shed tears on multiple occasions over the last few weeks. In those moments, I have become overwhelmed by my circumstances. Most people would hope to never find themselves in my current circumstances; however, a further evaluation reveals that not only are my current circumstances desirable but that I would not change a thing. I am incredibly blessed. The refrain of the old Christian hymn "Count Your Blessings" calls upon the singer to: Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your blessings, see what God has done. Odds are, if you are reading this, you are one of my blessings. Neither time nor my desire to maintain my sanity allows for the literal counting and naming of my blessings, but I assure you the number and names are plenty. And what God has done and is doing through each blessing does not go unnoticed. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 Right now my burden is heavy, but I do not bear my burden alone. From the moment I made my diagnosis of Colon Cancer known, blessings from all walks of my life have graciously joined together to bear my burden. My greatest blessing, my family, has been by my side from the beginning. My father, brother, and sister have been there each step of the way in whatever capacity I have needed them. At times that means praying for me, taking me to appointments, listening and taking notes for me, sitting with me, going to the store for me, picking things up off the floor for me, texting me reminders, or giving me space when needed. My support system of blessings has been relentless in bearing my burden by taking it to the Lord in prayer and in encouraging me with texts, phone calls, cards, and social media messages. My family all over the country has been on their knees. Friends of my mother, parents of my childhood friends, and fellow church members from my childhood in Jasper, Buna, and Denison are bearing my burden. My church family is bearing my burden. My former ministers, former Sunday school teachers, and former youth workers from Denison are bearing my burden. My friends and classmates from Jasper, Buna, Denison, The Colony, Grayson, and UNT are bearing my burden. My football watching friends from all over Texas are bearing my burden. My Super Summer family is bearing my burden. My mission trip family from all over the country and the world in Aurora, Kaufman, Peru, Guatemala, and Turkey is bearing my burden. My coworkers past and present are bearing my burden. My Pearson and Reedy family is bearing my burden financially and through the provision of meals as are some members of my church family. Each text, phone call, card, and social media message received is a reminder of a blessing. As I receive a notification of a text or phone call and I read the name of who it is from, my heart is filled with gratitude as I am reminded how God has so abundantly blessed me during our times together. I look forward to checking the mail each day as I receive another card from a friend, church member, or an intercessory prayer ministry from a body of believers that represent a blessing bearing my burden. In a social media world, there is often a debate on whether social media is a positive or a negative influence in our lives. I have always been a firm believer that the influence of social media in our lives depends on how we choose to use it. I strive to be intentional to use social media as a positive platform to stay connected with and to encourage the blessings in my life. Logistically, I simply would not be able to keep up with everyone I desire to without the use of social media. Regardless of the level of interaction I have with someone on social media, I am grateful for the opportunities it affords me to keep up with others. Over the last few weeks, social media has served as a wonderful platform to allow others to keep up with my journey and to bear my burden along the way. I typically do not care how many likes or comments I receive on my social media posts; however, lately each notification serves as a great source of encouragement. With each notification I am reminded of God's faithfulness in my life; I am reminded of my blessings who are bearing my burden. While all of my blessings are a great source of encouragement to me, there are some blessings that stand out during this time. First, my blessings that have known me since I was four years old when I moved to Jasper, Texas in the fall of 1984. I was so incredibly blessed to spend my elementary years in Jasper and to be a member of First Baptist Church Jasper. As I see those names, I am reminded of great friendships and of my late mother and how these blessings loved her so dearly as I was a child growing up and how these blessings have continued to love me and my family for approaching forty years now. Second, my Parkside blessings that have loved me and discipled me since I moved to Denison, Texas in the summer of 1993. I am often asked why I drive an hour to church each Sunday. My answer remains that God has not called me to another church. There are Sunday school teachers, youth workers, ministers, and family friends that have been bearing my burdens from my adolescence into adult hood to the present day journey. Finally, my kids - the students I have served during my time as a volunteer in the Parkside Student Ministry, the students I have served during my time as a volunteer at Super Summer Texas, and the students I have served during my time with Frisco ISD. Many of these students are now grown and have now entered the workforce, are in college, or have started their own families. I have given my life to investing in these students and now in my time of need, many of them are bearing my burden. These students hold such a huge place in my heart and a like, a comment, or a message from one of my kids indicating that they are bearing my burden is like medicine straight to my heart. Yes, I have shed some tears on multiple occasions over the last few weeks. In those moments when I have become overwhelmed by my circumstances, no tear shed has been because of sadness or fear. My circumstances have never been more desirable. I am incredibly loved by people from all walks of my life. People who bear my burden. People who are my greatest blessings. Each tear shed has been a result of the overwhelming joy I feel when I count my blessings. Each tear shed has represented one of you.
Comments