Wendi

Sometimes the compassion in strangers really amazes me. Nathan had speech therapy on Wednesday and when we came out there was another mom and her son waiting for Nathan's speech therapist. So the little boy went back for his appointment and I was lingering at the front desk filling out paper work and the mother asked me if Nathan was healing from surgery. Now let me back up a little I think I mentioned in previous posts that Nathan has obvious facial burns from his radiation. Unfortunately when we go out in public people usually gawk at him but never ask what happened. At first it was really hard to take this reaction and at times it still is but I'd made up my mind that if someone was bold enough to ask I was going to tell them, but truthfully I never thought anyone would ask.

So anyway this mom asked and I told her no and explained that his burns were from radiation treatment and he has cancer. Her reaction caught me off guard though. I'm used to the general reaction of "I'm sorry to hear that" or "I'll pray for you" but this lady paused and tears just started streaming down her face and she called Nathan over to her and looked at him face to face and said "Nathan buddy I'm going to be praying for you." I was blown away at the level of compassion this mom felt for Nathan, a total stranger to her. She then asked how I was holding up and I could hear the genuine concern in her voice. So I told her the entire story and she listened and complimented Nathan on being such a strong little boy and she told me over and over how much she'd be praying.

I talked to her for quite awhile. Her name is Wendi and she has a 13 year old daughter who is really sick right now as well. She told me the name of the disorder (it's psychological in nature) and I apologize for not being able to remember it but she said it causes her to have convulsions and seizures. At times she blacks out and at other times she literally destroys the home. Wendi told me "it's nothing compared to cancer" but I could see the hurt in her face and in the way she reacted to Nathan's cancer diagnosis and it's huge. My heart goes out to her, I don't like comparing diseases and I tell people all the time not to do that, when something is wrong with your child it hurts, bad. This mom is really going through a lot and she and her family are really hurting. She said she's had to take a leave of absence to take care of her daughter and it's taking a huge toll on the entire family (her and her husband have 3 children). Her child has told her several times that she just wants to die to take all of the pain away (she has a lot of physical pain as well).

Now this mom told me this after awhile of talking. Wendi's main concern was for Nathan and her tears were because she hated hearing of a chronic diagnosis for such a young child and as we got talking she shared with me about her little girl. We talked so long that Nathan and I stayed the duration of her son's appointment. She then told her son "this is Nathan and we're going to pray for him."

Dear Lord,

I come to you tonight praying for Wendi. Lord I don't know what this mom is going through. Lord I can't imagine what her family is going through because I know it has to be affecting the entire family.

Lord please heal this child, remove the physical pain and take away the seizures, Lord please stop her from blacking out and lashing out. Lord to hear a 13 year old child desires death just breaks my heart. Lord I don't understand psychological problems but you do. Lord remove whatever it is inside of her that is causing her to do this.

Lord restore peace in Wendi's home. I know she mentioned prayer but now a days that doesn't always mean the person is praying to you or is a believer in you. I don't want to assume, so Lord I pray for her salvation. I'll be running into her every week due to our childrens' appointments, give me the right words to say - or at least I assume I will, forgive me for not questioning when I had the opportunity since next week isn't promised.

Lord, Wendi is hurting, it's so evident that this is really hurting her to see her little girl go through such a rough period and she said she feels helpless. Lord please remove whatever it is that is ailing this child.

Lord I pray for Wendi's relationship with her husband and her other children please help them all be able to stick together.

Lord bring other people into her life who know you as well. Bring Christian doctors in her daughters life. Lord provide many opportunities for your Word to be heard by them.

Lord thank you for allowing me to meet her.

In Jesus Name
Amen