Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Dad the Brave

My dad has been battling cancer for several months. Recently he got another dose of bad news- the treatments he's been receiving aren't working, and the cancer has spread quite a bit. With both his initial diagnosis and this last bit of news, he has courageously accepted it. He was the one to tell me both times on the phone, "Well it's not good news." He is mostly concerned for us and not himself.
My earliest memory of dad's bravery came when I accompanied him as he worked as a blacksmith. He would shoe horses part-time in addition to teaching. I was very nervous everytime I saw him crouched beneath a horse, especially a huge draft horse. Nothing awed me more than watching him confidently squeeze the back of a horse's leg and lift up a hoof. I always marveled that his head was smaller than the hoof of a draft horse. And yet, he put himself in authority over the horse. The animal usually complied.
Now, I pray for a miracle for my dad. The cancer is more powerful than him, but our God is in complete control. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 18:2 I pray that Dad will continue to know the certainty of God as his Rock, Fortress, and Deliverer as he continues to bravely fight.

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