“Suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope (Romans 5:3-4).
I love and respect all people, whether they are adherents of Christianity, another faith, or don't believe in a higher power. It is not for me to judge, as I am nothing but a simple man, who just tries to do the best he can. I am a sinner in religious terms, a screw up, or perhaps even worse. Some call this "being human." Humanity. What is it? It is a experience we are all part of, each and every day holds new challenges and possibilities, dreams, failures, and times of triumphs, and moments of tragedies. If you look back at history, we are progressing in science and so many fields of technology in medicine and in elsewhere, at an unprecedented pace. This is in many ways positive, and if you pray, please consider adding children with special needs, and their families to your list. The same Providence that has led men and women to so many cures and discoveries, we must keep that beacon of light on at full blast.
Right now there are more people dead, than there are alive on this Earth. Seven billion folks inhabit this planet at any given time, give or take a few. Each of us is going to be born, and of course on the tail end, we are going to die. There's no rhyme or reason to when, and often the passing of a young child leads to so many "why's?" Years ago after doing CPR for the first time, on a man who was in his fifties, I was pretty shook up. I didn't want to admit it, but I am thankful for words that seemed to be rough at the time. A supervisor of mine showed up, sat me down, as the paramedics pronounced the man dead. I knew this as the AED machine used showed no heart rhythm, and would not deliver the shocks to kick start his heart again. He was gone, and there I sat with a bottled water, as the ambulance left the scene. "Mike, people die everyday." He gave me a tap on my shoulders, looked me in the eyes, and walked away.
These words are so true. It sounds so callous, but in reality, its the best way of putting such an event into its proper context. Our lives, regardless if we live five years or one hundred, are the mere blinking of an eye, when compared to everything else. We are nothing but dust in the wind, or as we sing in church, grains of wheat strewn about. Some of the most amazing people I have met, have contended with a tragedy, such as Brother Bill who I met at my time of greatest struggle, and have guided me onto the proper path. Sure it has been bumpy. I have caused people a lot of pain, and I am sorry that some have had to contend with my temper, as I am a work in progress. Right now there are parents right now, going through similar journeys as a wise man from New Zealand named Darren describes it. I like that term, as life and death are certainly that, elements that are part of the bane of our very existence.
I do not want people to feel sorry for me, or our family. Rather, I just want to say thank you to all the people I've been blessed enough to meet over the years, in good times and bad. I love life, even with its good days and bad. Each one of them presents a challenge, and two paths. Who knows what the next year, and the following years shall bring, but I pray everyday for a cure for Angelman Syndrome, CDKL5, Rett Syndrome, and all sorts of conditions to have that great discovery. It is too late for my son, but it is also too late for so many others. That is a burden that we must carry, but ultimately each person I have talked to that has gone through the experience of burying their child, still continues to hope for a cure for these. That is love, and I believe it is an extension from God, that we are able to carry on, in a life unexpected but life nonetheless.
The Bible and I always haven't gotten along. For instance, I have a hard time reading it. It makes no sense, as I can go through Constitutional Law books, understanding the minutiae of decisions that are heavily loaded with latin terms. Yet, the Bible other than Mark and Romans, is very hard to comprehend. Yet it is Romans that is correct. Not only with the verse above, but with the one that describes us all as having strengths and weaknesses. Each and every one of us has gifts, and at the same time we have other areas that we are lacking. It is my hope that all of us, can at the very least, continue the prayers for those with serious medical conditions, and to love one another more. Love your neighbor, and may we all support each other until that day, when we can all bring out that champagne bottle and have one heckuva party.
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