Joel
February 8, 2011
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Joel came in tonight and curled up in my bed again, he has had a very sleepy day, this last round of chemo seems to have taken a lot out of him. He sleepily said, “I can’t wait until I get married.”
Of course, I asked him, “Why?”
He said in the most sweetest voice, “So I can be a Daddy!”
It pulled at my heart and brought me back to April 15th 2010 when we listened to all the possible side effects of Joel’s treatment, we were told that it most likely that he will not be able to have children. Yet he can’t wait to be a Daddy. I know he is only 5 years old and there is no point spending time pining about something that is years away. There is no way of knowing what the future will hold for any of my children, yet because so much has been spoken about what we should expect in Joel’s future it is hard not to let it taint my expectations for Joel’s future. That being said… all things are possible with God…. God can bring complete healing with no side effects to Joel. If Joel is unable to have children there are many children in this world who need a home and what a wonderful thing it would be if Joel and his future wife would open their home to little ones who need a Momma & Daddy.
There are many hurdles ahead of Joel, yet we have already seen God at work in Joel’s life. Please don’t miss understand me, just because I have concerns for Joel’s future, does not mean that I lack faith in what God can do in Joel’s life. I fully believe that God’s plan for Joel has not changed, his cancer has not changed Joel’s path, and in that I take great comfort.
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6 Comments
Savannah
your faith is always an encouragement to me…and what a great photo of joel..his eye looks like it's doing a lot better, too!
marlece
So sweet….the Lord places things in our hearts from the time we were just babes….I think this is beautiful….I can't wait to see exactly what the Lord has in store for this boy some day man someday daddy!
Rachel
That is just precious.
Big Fat Mama
My shoulders dropped a little when I read Joel may not be able to have children, but Joel can do ALL things through Christ! 🙂 Philippians 4:13
Leah
I know that no circumstances are the same, but I thought it might give you a little hope if I share with you a little story of a friend of ours who had a large cancerous brain tumor removed when he was fifteen and then he went through all the chemo, radiation, and everything else. For a while he wore really thick eyeglasses because he could hardly see… and the doctors told him and his parents all those same side effects, even the one about perhaps not being able to have children.That was about seventeen years ago. Now he has perfect eyesight. Almost ten years ago he married a wonderful girl (who is also a life long friend of ours) in our church.They are still two of our best friends…And they now have four beautiful children. (so far 🙂 So you never know what God holds in the future for Joel or any of us.
Cheryl
Leah Thanks so much for sharing that story, I know Joel's future is uncertain as all of our futures are, but I am thankful that I also know who holds the future.