About this time of year, my life gets all consuming. It's the end of the school year and I always seem to have a hundred and one projects to complete before we can all relax for three months, or in my case, change jobs and become a full time farmer.
But yesterday I was given a lesson in life when I heard news that one of our eighth grade students had gone down to Little Rock to have tests for leukemia. This young lady is one of those rare students these days. She is bright and intelligent, quiet and well mannered, pretty without the trim and frills of the current fashion. All in all she is a super nice girl.
She will miss all the end of year celebrations, and she will miss the Eighth Grade Promotion where she should have received awards for her schoolwork.
Her father came into school today to let us know what was happening, and I was called to the office to speak to him. He had a favor to ask of me. As she couldn't attend the Promotion, could I stream it live so she could watch it while in her hospital bed? I have never meant it more than when I told him I would do my best to make it happen.
It's at times like this that a person starts to question the god he or she looks to and asks the question "Why her?" It's also at times like this that you rely on the power of prayer to help you come to terms with the situation.
But who are we praying for? Are we praying for the child that is hooked up to an IV that is pumping poisons into her body to try and kill the disease in her? Or are we praying for ourselves so we can come to terms with the fact we are supposed to protect these children and we failed?
Perhaps it's a little of both, and I must admit to not being a church going christian and announcing my faith very often. But it doesn't mean I don't believe in god, it just means I don't believe in church.
Today I received a copy of a text conversation between this girl and a friend and colleague who had taken it on to tell her how we all thought and send her some words of hope. I read that text conversation over and over again, soaking up the strength from their words.
Today I prayed. I prayed that she will make a full recovery and go on to be the woman she is meant to be. I prayed that I can fulfill the task her father asked of me. I prayed that her friends can find the strength to carry on with life and to be there for her when needed.
Today was a lesson in life.
