Strong And Courageous For The Fight

Strong And Courageous For The Fight

Be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the LORD! Psalm 31:24

“He just doesn’t seem as strong as before. He says it hurts to run and that he doesn’t feel well. He used to want to play outside all the time, but now he wants to stay in.”

Tommy’s mom was concerned. Tommy was only five, and he’d started losing weight and having night sweats.

“It’s the middle of winter, and he’s burning up every night. Last year he had strep. The year before that, both ears were clogged, and you sent him to get tubes in his ears. Do you think it could be one of those problems again?”

Tommy looked pale, and he was thinner than I remembered. When we weighed him, he’d lost five pounds—a significant amount in a child that young.

“Hmm. Let’s look and see.” I got my light out. “His throat looks good. Ears look good—the tubes have fallen out, and his tympanic membranes are normal.” I felt his neck and could tell that his lymph nodes were enlarged. They were also enlarged in his armpits. “Let’s get some lab work done and see if that will tell us anything.”

When the blood work came back, it gave us a definitive answer—but one we had all hoped and prayed against. Tommy had acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), cancer of the blood and bone marrow. I joined hands with Tommy and his mother, and we prayed, “Lord, this diagnosis is not what we’d hoped for, but now that we know the answer, help us to fight this battle. Give us courage and strength, Lord, for our hope is in you.”

The next year was a difficult battle for both Tommy and his mother. The treatments seemed to last a lifetime, but he made it through. Tommy is now in remission with about an 85 percent chance of a cure.

In the midst of adversity, the Lord answered our prayers and gave both Tommy and his mom the strength and courage they needed during his fight.

TODAY’S RX

We all have areas in our lives where we must fight. Place your hope in the Lord, and ask him to provide you with the strength and courage you need to make it through.

Lord, sometimes the road ahead is daunting, and I’m overcome by the challenges I face. Help me to trust in you for courage and strength during these times of trial.