Followers

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Vulnerability...

I made myself vulnerable again. Vulnerable to pain and possible loss. And I asked myself, is that wise?
I invited a mother and her two young boys over for an afternoon visit. We had met on Facebook on the Ewings Sarcoma Survivor page. When I discovered they lived close by, I invited them over. Slim, beautiful and young, her mother's heart was equally as lovely. And the boys were playful, liked Legos and dogs and snacked on Goldfish. She shared her story. I listened and shared a little too. We talked of our faiths, how hers strengthened through sarcoma and how mine wavered a little finally settling down to nice solidness.

And when they left, I thought I was fine, but I wasn't. And through tears I asked myself, is it wise to allow someone in? Someone whose little life and his mothers and brothers and fathers life bring the recognition of a shared pain and the possibility of death? Am I meeting another Lesly or another Gage?

And then the sermon this morning on Acts 11 confirmed it. "Invest yourself in the lives of others." The others being those put in your world and my world includes childhood cancer. I have no choice here. It's reality. Jesus calls me to love. It's my mission.

And it came to me, Jesus became vulnerable. Jesus had a mission.

And with my vulnerability comes my mission and it's called: And Jesus Wept.
John 11:35.

So I went further into my vulnerability and had this young family over along with a family visiting from Arizona. Another Ewings Sarcoma survivor family. Both boys have lost parts of their bodies. Both boys are full of strength, energy and life. Both boys have endured so much.

We painted together at C.H.A..P. They jumped on our trampoline. Slid down the Tree House slide. We ate and drank and laughed and got teary eyed. We marveled at our survivors.


The vulnerability was there, but so was something else...




 
Vulnerability...gratefulness...strength...an inseparable bond like no other...