If you are a believer, you know God is with you. If you are like me, though, sometimes you aren’t sure. We need to recognize and celebrate those times when He is.
Several months ago I got word that my nephew’s uncle was terminally ill with brain cancer. They didn’t know how long he had, but he was steadily going downhill.
What everyone, and I do mean everyone, loved about Andy was his sense of humor, and the fact that he was a giver. He always made me laugh and smile. He gave his time to Camp Sunshine, a fun place for kids with terminal diseases.
I asked the family if I could call him, but I was told no. He was too far along. I wanted to let him know that I loved and supported him, so I wanted to do more than send a card. Then I remembered the documentary I had created with my comedy mentor, Dave Fitzgerald, called Healing, Hope, and Humor. In it, Dave talks about his experience with cancer. It is both funny and inspirational. My concern was that I didn’t know how Andy would receive it. Would it make things better or worse? Look, I’m just going to be honest here: Sometimes I’m socially awkward. I own it. In this case, especially, I wanted to be super careful.
I prayed. I prayed again. I prayed more. I felt a bit of peace about it, while also knowing my intention was to give him the message of a cancer survivor to a cancer patient. I also knew that Andy would love the jokes my mentor tells about having cancer. I mailed the DVD and prayed it would be received well by him.
A few months later Andy’s soul went to bring more of his own humor to heaven. I flew to Boston to support my sister, my nephew, and Andy’s family. After paying my respects, I was greeted in the receiving line by Andy’s children. To my surprise, they smiled and told me that Andy loved the video and kept it next to him on his nightstand. In fact, they said that after hearing Dave saying, “You need to start asking for help,” Andy, for the first time, did ask for help. Wow.
I lost it. Tears welled up in my eyes. God did not just answer my prayers; He also gave me the gift of knowing. Sometimes we may not know all of the blessings we do receive. We maybe even take some for granted because they don’t always come in the form we expect.
Thank you, God, for answering that prayer and for giving me the gift of knowing for sure that it was answered. Blessed. I need to remember to celebrate all answered prayers. You?
Thank you, God for Grace, Truth, Love, and Laughter,
Darren
(Reminder, this is just a journal of my mistakes, experiences, and thoughts along with my journey to having a closer relationship to God. I do not claim to be an authority on the subject. If you want to know The Way, read The Bible.)
What church do I attend? Verve Church in Las Vegas
http://vivalaverve.org
P.S. Thank you, especially, for grace.
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https://darrenlacroix.com/category/godblog/