Now that that is out of the way, I would like to share a story with you. Well, I'm not sure as if you would call it a story or not. Anyways, I am sharing this in hopes that it will make you appreciate life just a little bit more; it sure has made my perspective change.
My great uncle Jerry is in his sixties, and is dying of cancer. A few months ago he found out he had cancer and it was spreading quickly, and that his time left on this earth was very limited. Recently his condition worsened and he was put in the hospital in Florida, where he is originally from. Knowing that at this point it was not likely that he would live much longer, he decided to return to Kentucky where most of his family is.
Of course, the fact that he unexpectedly was diagnosed with cancer is a terrible thing in itself, but there are other details that make the situation even more tragic. Several years ago, his wife passed away. Then a couple years after that, his only son, whom was only in his forties, died of a heart attack. So for a while, Jerry was very lonely. Two of the people that he loved the most in this world were gone. But he met a wonderful lady named Pat whose spouse had died as well, and they fell in love and got married. [Aww so precious right?]
Pat lived here in Kentucky and Jerry lived in Florida, so for the past year or so that they have been married they have traveled back and forth between the two states.
But now, things are to change. Pat will soon have to deal with the death of another husband. That just kills me. I can't imagine having to go through that once, much less twice. It seems just as if when their lives were better and complete again, and then this had to happen.
I went and visited Pat and my Uncle Jerry yesterday. It was tough seeing him, because he looked completely different and you could tell he was just barely holding on to life. But as I sat by his bed and held his hand with my mom and brother standing next to me, he said something that I never ever will forget.
My mom sympathetically said, "I wish you felt better", and he simply responded with, "Well sometimes you just have to take what you're given."
It amazes me and inspires me that even though he was in an enormous amount of pain, and even though his world was quickly fading, he still did not complain once. He was grateful, despite his condition.
I thought about this a lot yesterday, and I was reminded how blessed I really truly am. I have an amazing healthy family and I am healthy myself. I take so much for granted, and I forget to thank God sometimes for the simple fact I'm still breathing. I freak out over little things that in comparison to how things could be, are nothing. God has given me so much!
But I really hope my Uncle Jerry lives at least a few more days so that I can go see him once again. He really is a remarkable man and will be missed by me and many others. My intentions of writing this were not to make anyone feel sorry for me, I really just hope that you will remember to praise God for the life that he has given you. Hard times will come but they will pass. And through hard times, God is by your side, helping you each step of the way.
"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18 :)
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