I spent the better part of my day with Brandon, my friend who is receiving chemo treatments for Leukemia. I was used to the process already from sitting with Gracie on the days she received chemo in hopes of putting her brain cancer into remission. Like Gracie, when Brandon received his treatment the injection process take only 20 minutes, but we would sit together for five hours, in silent prayer, that he would not have any side effects. Unlike Gracie, Brandon's Leukemia can be treated and he will go into remission with hopes of it never coming back. Cancer beat Gracie in the game of LIFE, but in the long run, Gracie showed cancer how she could fight like a girl.
The last time I visited Brandon it was at his home, with his siblings and parents there. I have to wonder why he even had the door opened for me with as much as I must annoy him about life. I like to believe it's because he enjoys my company and is as excited as I am about our growing friendship. It could be that I am persistent and one way or another I will find my way in anyway. Just like I did when my brother Joey was bedridden in his final days of his fight with lung cancer. I would sneak out the east window of my bedroom and crawl in the north window of the bedroom he was in. I wanted to be with my brother as much as I could because they had already told us he entered stage four of his lung cancer and I knew that meant his days were numbered.
Visiting Brandon in his home is quite a bit different then visiting him at the Cancer Center. Maybe it was just me but he seemed less uptight at home and more involved in life. At the Caner Center he seemed more worrisome about the outcome of his cancer. I really enjoyed sharing a few laughs with Brandon and his family at his house. I also enjoyed learning more about his family and seeing how they interacted with each other. I could tell they were tight, a typical family unit, but witnessing how much they cared for each other was a treat for me. I have very few friends who still have a typical family unit where they are all natural brothers and sisters sharing the same chromosomes of both parents, all living under the same roof.
I noticed several religious artifacts and pictures throughout their home which is always a sign to me that the family celebrates a religion together. The first time I met his parents up at the Cancer Center I got the impression they were strong in their faith. Knowing this about Brandon's family gave me comfort in knowing that Brandon has a great support system right under the very roof he sleeps under at night. I met Brandon on a day he felt God deserted him, that is a memory both of us will carry with us for the life time of our friendship. I, who has never lost my faith in God, and he who was feeling his faith in God slip away. Tell me this was not in God's plan for the two of us to cross paths and build on each others faith, or lack there of, and I will tell you to go sell your bridge elsewhere.
I enjoyed spending the time with Brandon today and getting to know him better. His fears, his pain, his humor, and just everything he was willing to share. I was not surprised when he wanted to talk about faith and what God was willing to give us if we opened our hearts and minds to his plan for our futures. Brandon shared with me his favorite Psalm:
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
The last time I visited Brandon it was at his home, with his siblings and parents there. I have to wonder why he even had the door opened for me with as much as I must annoy him about life. I like to believe it's because he enjoys my company and is as excited as I am about our growing friendship. It could be that I am persistent and one way or another I will find my way in anyway. Just like I did when my brother Joey was bedridden in his final days of his fight with lung cancer. I would sneak out the east window of my bedroom and crawl in the north window of the bedroom he was in. I wanted to be with my brother as much as I could because they had already told us he entered stage four of his lung cancer and I knew that meant his days were numbered.
Visiting Brandon in his home is quite a bit different then visiting him at the Cancer Center. Maybe it was just me but he seemed less uptight at home and more involved in life. At the Caner Center he seemed more worrisome about the outcome of his cancer. I really enjoyed sharing a few laughs with Brandon and his family at his house. I also enjoyed learning more about his family and seeing how they interacted with each other. I could tell they were tight, a typical family unit, but witnessing how much they cared for each other was a treat for me. I have very few friends who still have a typical family unit where they are all natural brothers and sisters sharing the same chromosomes of both parents, all living under the same roof.
I noticed several religious artifacts and pictures throughout their home which is always a sign to me that the family celebrates a religion together. The first time I met his parents up at the Cancer Center I got the impression they were strong in their faith. Knowing this about Brandon's family gave me comfort in knowing that Brandon has a great support system right under the very roof he sleeps under at night. I met Brandon on a day he felt God deserted him, that is a memory both of us will carry with us for the life time of our friendship. I, who has never lost my faith in God, and he who was feeling his faith in God slip away. Tell me this was not in God's plan for the two of us to cross paths and build on each others faith, or lack there of, and I will tell you to go sell your bridge elsewhere.
I enjoyed spending the time with Brandon today and getting to know him better. His fears, his pain, his humor, and just everything he was willing to share. I was not surprised when he wanted to talk about faith and what God was willing to give us if we opened our hearts and minds to his plan for our futures. Brandon shared with me his favorite Psalm:
Psalm 23 (King James Version)
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
We decided that The Lord Is My Shepard Psalm describes how God is our shepherd and we are his sheep. As long as we follow His voice we have everything we need. Sheep have a tendency to wonder off and get lost and the Lord as our shepherd helps us find our way back. The road will be rough but through dying for our sins He shows us he will lay done his life for us and will be there always to show us the right way. We fear no evil because we know he walks with us and protects us from ourselves and others. We walk the earth with our enemies but we fear not. We are blessed with an abundance of tools to use as we walk our journey on earth searching for happiness with the Lord. When we live and abide by God's plan he will have mercy on our souls and lead us to his Kingdom where we live in eternity forever more.
We may not be totally correct in our interpretation of Brandon's favorite Psalm, but the fact that a Lutheran and a Catholic can sit together not just as friends but brothers in Christ show's that we can respectfully agree to disagree and still hold equal faith in each other and ourselves as well as our beliefs.
I've stated before in my blogs that I do not preach my religion to others in an effort to convert them to the Catholic faith. I believe that as long as someone believes in something, they have just as much faith in their life as I do in mine. There are many different versions of the Bible and even more interpretations of what is written in them. To judge another poorly because they have different beliefs then you do is not being true to your fellow man, or yourself To judge another poorly because they have made a mistake that lead them down a path of destruction is not being a good Christian. We will fall, and we will pick ourselves up. We may fall again and again and each time we stand up our faith will be stronger then it was before. Because we are the sheep and the Lord is our Shepherd, and he will gather those that wander away and get lost and bring them back to the flock. He cares not what color, size, shape or gender you may be. He cares not what church you belong to or how you choose to pray. He cares only that you believe in yourself as much as you believe in Him. He is a kind God and he is the only one in your life that will ever love you more then you should love yourself.
My favorite Psalm?
We may not be totally correct in our interpretation of Brandon's favorite Psalm, but the fact that a Lutheran and a Catholic can sit together not just as friends but brothers in Christ show's that we can respectfully agree to disagree and still hold equal faith in each other and ourselves as well as our beliefs.
I've stated before in my blogs that I do not preach my religion to others in an effort to convert them to the Catholic faith. I believe that as long as someone believes in something, they have just as much faith in their life as I do in mine. There are many different versions of the Bible and even more interpretations of what is written in them. To judge another poorly because they have different beliefs then you do is not being true to your fellow man, or yourself To judge another poorly because they have made a mistake that lead them down a path of destruction is not being a good Christian. We will fall, and we will pick ourselves up. We may fall again and again and each time we stand up our faith will be stronger then it was before. Because we are the sheep and the Lord is our Shepherd, and he will gather those that wander away and get lost and bring them back to the flock. He cares not what color, size, shape or gender you may be. He cares not what church you belong to or how you choose to pray. He cares only that you believe in yourself as much as you believe in Him. He is a kind God and he is the only one in your life that will ever love you more then you should love yourself.
My favorite Psalm?
PSALM 118:24
This is the day which the LORD has made.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
It's a New Year and each day we should reflect on the day before and look forward to the day after. Be thankful for prayers said that were both answered and unanswered, for that is Trust in our God, Faith in His plan, and Believing in His Kingdom.
