Scripture standout: Luke 24: "13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him."
Morning thoughts: This story makes me wonder, how many times have I been walking along my path — talking, yapping, wondering, worrying, working, imagining, speculating, planning — without taking notice that I have a companion on my mission. I do this daily.
Last summer, we hosted Hikmat a little girl from Afghanistan. She came through Solace for the Children — an amazing summer hosting program that treats children from regions all over Afghanistan for minor medical challenges. Well, let's just say Hikmat was not minor in any sense of the word. Beautiful, wild and totally uninhibited, Hikmat was a stunning challenge. Her cleft palate repair surgery was about the easiest part of her visit. She was desperately homesick daily. She was not abash when it came to expressing her displeasure over food she was served or activities in which she was participating. Sometimes, she was defiant. And she was often alone in the group because she was such a country girl, and only spoke Pashto. We loved her though and supported her through her visit. But we were wiped out by the end.
She's coming back for the summer 2011 hosting program. She has one more surgery to complete her cleft palate repair. I have struggled deeply with this for the past six months. As her host mother, I wanted to offer ourselves to her again. I wanted her to resume the place she had made in our family. But I also felt daunted by the thought. I worried over whether we could take on that responsibility again. And worried. And worried. And worried some more.
Last night, the directors of Solace came knocking on our door to share news: the identity of our host child. My jaw dropped when I saw photographs of two boys, and not Hikmat's devilish little smirk peering out from a headscarf. I had no words! And then the relief came — we had two of the easiest cases in the group! Ashrafulla, the sweet young boy who has been here for orthopaedic surgery; and Qodrat, who was here last summer and is returning for a simple eye re-check. They adore each other. They are happy to be here in the United States. And the best news? Hikmat's host family is right up her alley in more ways than one.
What would happen if I just didn't worry so much? Couldn't I see there was someone else on the journey with me? I am so lame — just like that guy by the gate.
Ps. 105 :4 Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always."
Submitted by Mark Woods on April 27, 2011 - 1:37amMark Woods' Blog
Just as I finished that sentence, I picked up the morning paper — always a source for good work that is being done in our world, or areas where deeders can step in and help. I was shocked to read a story in Mark Woods' column today about a friend's daughter who is battling cancer. I didn't even know. We rarely see this family, but I know I've bumped into them during the past year and probably said something trite like, "how's life treating you guys?" They are a beautiful family — always the picture of health and style. And now this. I can't think of a more inspiring example of someone who has "taken up their bed and walked."
There are some clear directions in this article about how to help Ellie. I'm going to check it out. In the meantime, the triathlon Marley's competing in this weekend will definitely have a different persepctive.
Mark Woods: Triathlon not just a race for determined fifth-grader
Ellie
In an age when many kids resist physical activity, it will encouraging to see the frenetic scene at the University of North Florida this weekend.
More than 1,000 children are signed up for the First Coast Kids Triathlon.
There are the triathlon veterans, intent on improving their times. There are first-timers, including 19 kids in a childhood obesity program who spent six months preparing for this.
And there is Ellie Kavalieros.
Ellie, 11, is a fifth-grader at Jacksonville Country Day School, the oldest of Nick and Lisa Kavalieros' three girls. She always has been an active kid. But about a year ago, when her left arm and leg started feeling weak, she ended up in the emergency room.
Her mother remembers looking at the test results, having no idea what the images meant, then looking at the three doctors.
Their faces said it all.
Ellie had Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, an inoperable brain tumor and one of the deadliest pediatric cancers.
Since then Ellie has been seeing oncologists in Jacksonville, Boston and Pittsburgh. Her treatment includes a series of experimental and painful shots. In December, after a big setback, she was sent home to "get comfortable." And that, her father explains, meant hospice.
"When they arrived with a wheelchair, she looked at me with a scowl and said, 'Don't get used to that. I'm going to walk again,'" he said.
Ellie always has been driven in her own quiet way. When she got a B in a math class a few years ago, she was beside herself, determined not to let that happen again.
So last Christmas, her wish list was topped by walking. She started out taking a few tiny, wobbly steps. But, sure enough, on Christmas Eve she walked several yards. And since then, she has continued to get better, returning to school, resuming treatment and physical therapy.
The prognosis still is terrifying. Which is why last month she was among a group of children who got to meet Tim Tebow at the Dreams Come True office. While touched by the gesture, on the drive home Ellie didn't talk about the NFL quarterback. She talked about another patient who had been there, a boy who talked excitedly about doing triathlons.
"Can I maybe do one of those?" she asked.
She doesn't have full use of her left hand. She walks by kind of swinging her left leg around. But her doctors have given her the OK. And she wants to do this. Ask her why and she says matter-of-factly, "I want to prove to myself that I can run, I can swim, and I can bike."
When I hear her say this, when I think about some other anecdotes about her, I can't help but paraphrase a message a family friend posted on Ellie's website.
She wasn't just lucky to meet Tim Tebow. He was lucky to meet her.
mark.woods@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4212
Funding research
A research fund has been set up in Ellie's name at the Dana-Farber Institute in Boston:www.JimmyFund.kintera.org/Ellie-DIPG.
The Deed/The Day: A small but hopefully meaningful donation to the Dana-Farber Institute done. Sometimes, deeds come with big bold letters that say HERE"S WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP. This one was that way for sure.
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