A Broken Foot Leads to a Broken Will

Sooo... life wasn't exciting enough around here, and I found a way to spice things up :-) Isn't it funny how God takes you from the point where you think things are going pretty smoothly, and up-ends your boat?!

About the first of February, I remember looking around (mentally) at a few friends who were running hither and yon with health issues, work, kid activities, etc, and thinking to myself, "I remember when February used to be so stressful. I'm glad I've figured out (note the smug back-patting there!) how to take life more calmly."

Oops... the Lord loves me too much to let me get away with that kind of thinking.

First, on a quiet (dare I say boring?) Saturday at home, I saw that a friend needed help covering a 31 vendor event, since she'd been ill. I told her I'd do it for her, even though it was nearly an hour away, just because I hadn't done a lot with the business lately and was feeling guilty.



So off I trekked to this event for homeless pets (it was so meaningful I can't even remember the name of the group it supported!) to see if I could sell some 31 products and get a few new contacts. While there... long story short... I stepped out of a doorway the wrong way and BROKE my foot. Uh-oh... things just got a little less calm in my life. :-(

While driving myself to the ER (not everyone in my family had as boring a life as I did), I started reminding myself of the things God might very well desire to teach me by knocking me off my feet (literally...lol). I am a firm believer in self-talk. Keep yourself so busy speaking truth and rehearsing God's ways to yourself that you don't have time to doubt God's involvement in a circumstance. It had served me well in various crises, and it seemed like the right thing to do now, too.

By the time we left the ER that night, I'd decided several things:

• Broken bones are painful! I'm glad I waited nearly 37 years to get my first one!
• Cleidocranials (see Cleidocranial dysplasia) are not made to use crutches! Yikes! That was painful!
• Men in general, and teen-aged sons specifically, do not have the same "care-giving gene" granted to women, and specifically moms/wives :-)
• I was going to get longer than I originally thought to learn whatever lessons God had for me. :-(

The following week, I had the privilege of celebrating my birthday (also Valentine's Day) with my sweet husband while riding around in a wheelchair. I was so blessed by his willingness to accept the change in plans with grace and concern for my comfort!

We're two weeks into this journey now. I have found once again that God is faithful, and that He continually gives opportunities to give HIM glory, and to serve in a sacrificial way. I am amazed at how many opportunities I am given to serve my family, even from a bed-rest position. 

What does God do to throw you into the deep end when you get the mistaken feeling that you can handle life on your own? I'd love to laugh... and learn... with you! :-)

My heart is broken tonight for yet another cancer warrior. Please celebrate with me the life of Kori E. Quinn, age 18, one of the bravest girls I've ever had the privilege of knowing.

Kori's body succumbed to Ewing's Sarcoma in February, 2014 after a five year battle, including multiple relapses. She fought with all her strength, and used every breath God granted her to further awareness and research for pediatric cancers. In her last post on Facebook, she urged friends and strangers alike to donate life-giving blood, if not for her, then for someone else in need. Selfless to the end, Kori's courage should be emulated by anyone who finds himself fighting against the odds. We love you, Kori. You will be missed.

This is Kori's amazing mom, Krista, who helped her daughter to start the foundation that bears her name, i-rok foundation.org. She has vowed to continue the work of this foundation to ease the lives of cancer warriors and advance the cause of research for pediatric cancers in the U.S.

The girls always appreciate the individualized attention from our Care Assistants and nurses in the Hem/Onc clinic. Elizabeth is in the pink/red shirt above. Sarah is one of the blonds below. I can't remember the name of the nurse in the green shirt :-(

One of the neatest opportunities for cancer families is an annual Christmas party, hosted at a schnazzy ballroom downtown. They pamper the kids and shower them with gifts, as well as attention and support for the parents and siblings.

Strangely, along with the pride I feel for the amazing life Kori lived, and the fiercely protective feelings I have for each of our child warriors, there is another feeling. For lack of a better term, I sense it is something like a survivor's guilt. The questions loom when I am least prepared. Why did my daughter celebrate her 5 year remission date during the same week her friend was being life-flighted home from college to fight the final battle of her war on cancer? Does anyone else's child have less to offer the world? I know these fears don't serve a purpose, so I turn them over to the Lord and commit myself once again to the advocacy and awareness I know were so important to Kori in the last five years of her life.

Thank you for coming on this pictorial journey with me. And please, go kiss your child one more time. So many moms do not have that opportunity tonight.