Strength (Blog Carnival)

Welcome to the One Word at a Time Blog Carnival on Strength. We’re so glad you’ve stopped by!

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Upcoming dates/words:

July 13 – Summer
July 27 – Ego
Aug 10 – Laughter
Aug 24 – Children

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One Word at a Time…Strength

There are so many people who are dealing with unbelievably difficult and impossible situations. It could be financial, a broken marriage, the loss of a parent… or the ultimate heartbreak… losing a child.

I’ve watched a few parents try to pick up the pieces after a child has been taken too soon, and the strength they muster up is nothing short of a miracle.

Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength.
~ Saint Francis de Sales

What about those who are in the midst of raising a child who has been diagnosed with a terrible disease… now take the heartbreak, pain, exhaustion, and anxiety… and DOUBLE it.

I’d like to introduce you to some friends who I believe are pillars of strength and faith… Jerry and Heather. My hubby has known Jerry since they were little kids, and their parents were friends long before that.

Their story began like many others… they were married in 1994 (right after us), and after a few years decided to start a family. First came Joshua, then Luke… two adorable boys, born just over two years apart.

When Joshua was two and a half (in 2003), the doctors diagnosed him with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy… then three short months later (March of 2004), his little brother Luke was diagnosed… he was only seven months old.

After realizing how serious the disease was, Jerry took a leave of absence from his job, and Heather extended the leave she was already on. They didn’t know what to do, but knew they couldn’t sit around doing nothing, so they got involved with the MDA and Parent Project right away.

This helped them focus on hope… and making a difference. It also put them in contact with others in the same situation. The support group they joined helped a lot, but giving up their dream of a ‘perfect family’ was probably the hardest thing they had to face. Knowing that the boys would never experience life the way they had growing up was heart-wrenching for them.

Heather shared some thoughts with me, and gave a current update on the boys:

“Now I know they have a truly blessed life, because we value each day and never waste precious moments. That poem about Holland made me see that things will just be different, not any less meaningful. Right now, taking care of Josh is physically demanding. He’s almost 100 pounds and dead weight. His legs are stiff and it’s getting harder and harder to stretch them out. He catches colds easily, and along with his allergies, we sometimes fight his runny nose for months. His cardiologist and pulmonologist say his heart and lungs are still strong at this point, so that’s good news.”

“Luke has been on steroids off and on this last year. He’s now off of them because they really make him cranky. He’s losing a lot of strength. He can’t get off the floor anymore by himself, and falls a lot. He tires easily. He uses a wheelchair part time at school.”

My heart goes out to Jerry and Heather more than ever. After working with special needs kids, I’ve become very aware of the physical and emotional demands.

After only six hours a day… sometimes I’m completely drained. I can’t imagine 24/7/365, even with your own flesh and blood, in this type of scenario.

Heather wants to see herself (and for others to view her) as a positive person. She tries to face each day this way. When she finds herself feeling down, Heather tries to re-direct her thinking and concentrate on the here and now.

What these loving parents want people to be aware of, is they do have tough times, but they never dwell on the negative. They get their strength from God, each other, and from family and friends.

When choosing names for the boys, Heather looked up some verses…

This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9

She liked that Joshua was a leader, of strong character… taking on a big responsibility. Heather wanted her son to have those characteristics.

After they’d chosen to name their second son Luke, she found this verse.

For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” Luke 19:10

She loved that Luke was a doctor… someone who helped others.

Heather said that these verses from the bible have taken on a whole new meaning for them now.

This family is the perfect example of strength to me. From the boys who have so much to overcome… as well as their amazing mom and dad who know their lives will be devoted to caring for their sons in a capacity no one who hasn’t been there could ever understand.

I love this quote from Heather…

“Strength comes from purpose. I feel very directed now, I’m here on this earth to care for my beautiful boys… how lucky I feel to have this joyous responsibility.”

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13

Whatever circumstance has weakened you, physically, mentally, spiritually… or all of the above… don’t give up hope. We can overcome anything through Christ who gives us strength!

Tagged as: Awareness, Blog Carnival, Disease, Duchenne, Faith, Hope, Kids, Love, Musculor Dystrophy, One Word at a Time, Parents, Strength