What does it take to bring a smile to the face of a friend? What does it take to change a bad day to a good one? What does it take to change a life? Sometimes a moment makes the difference.
- A high school teacher looked at me and said, “God has given you a gift.” It took less than three seconds to say those words. She had every right to say, “You’re expelled from school. Instead she used words in those three seconds that changed my life.
- I taped eight autumn leaves together into a crown, and in a two minute ceremony proclaimed my grandson, “King of the Forest.” I captured his smile with a picture. I think I might have captured his heart that day as well.
- My friend Bill Letourneau stood before his kneeling son with a sword and commissioned him to honor God with his life. In that moment a boy’s life was changed.
After you watch this video, think of moments that have changed your life. Then think of a moment you could spend to bring joy to another life. Share your thoughts with us.
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Comments
This video kind of confused me. I’m not sure why the person speaking in the first part of the video felt that she could no longer live carefree/fully alive or why she worried so much about an impending threat. A diagnosis of a terminal disorder should never mean that your life needs to stand still, rather it should be a notice that you should celebrate life. She has the opportunity to proclaim God’s love to the world. She should be out standing in public, on her soap box yelling, ” God loves me so much that he has given me the job to tell the world that I’m not dying from a terminal condition I’m LIVING with it.”
Roger, Knowing you, I know that you have had moments like this. You have always had compassion for people going through rough times. You have come to a very good place and I hope you will encourage others who are not so fortunate to have hope in reaching that kind of peace as well. The news of debilitating or terminal illness is devastating. Only time, faith and the encouragement of friends changes those first feelings of hopelessness. l
Gave me goosebumps. It’s real easy to say what somebody should be doing, but if you haven’t dealt with that, you don’t really know how you would react.
Thank you for this touching video. My brother has been diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer. He has had the surgery but I noticed, my joyful and happy-go-lucky younger brother is gone and in his place is a tired, ill old man. This video reminded me that cancer does not define my brother, my brother defines himself. One of the best things I ever read about cancer was “I hope cancer gets cancer and dies” When you watch someone you love struggling with cancer, you can’t help but want them to have a look of carefree joy once again on their face. I know I wait for that with my brother. There are moments, just quickly that flash across his face, but I pray that in the not too distant future, those moments will lengthen and the joy in my brother’s face will return.
In 1997 I was diagnosed with a very aggressive breast cancer. I was a widow with two sons in high school and I was in my Master’s Program. Everyone advised me to stop school; but I knew that if I did I would never return–so with God’s Help I marched on. I bought 4 wigs so I could change my look everyday if desired (2 shades of blonde, 1 brunette and one red) Very important was that I determined and did watch 30 minutes of comedy everyday. Laughter increases our immune system and our endorphin levels reducing pain and improving our ability to win the battle. Thank you Ken for all that you do. Other steps that I used in the battle were: 1. Set aside thirty minutes each day to
laugh. Whatever show or comedian can
make you truly laugh heartily; engage yourself in that each and every day for
thirty minutes.
2. When you look in the mirror and see
that stranger staring back at you, practice talking to her or him with the
kindness and gentleness that you would any young child suffering a devastating
illness. You would never say the
horrible things that you say to yourself to anyone else. This became very therapeutic in that I was
able to go back in time and love the “fat little girl with a speech impediment”
I had so harshly criticized my whole life.
3. Lay aside your self-blaming guilt and
avoid the friends who desire to tell you that God must be punishing you for
some sin in your life. When Christ died on the cross He bore your sins and your
guilt once and for all. So confess it,
lay it at the cross and walk away knowing you are forgiven. If ever there is a moment when you need to
“forget that which is behind, look unto Jesus, and press for the mark of the
prize of the high calling of God” it is now.
Don’t beat yourself up for yesterday, start fresh today. If you smoke, now is when to stop; after all,
no will notice that you are emotional, crying and irritable. They expect you to be.
4. Pace yourself carefully to make
certain that you get plenty of rest.
When you are tired, stop for a little while to just sit still and relax. I would sometimes just put on Christian music
and sit in the presence of God to rest a little while.
5. Keep living. Don’t withdraw from the world around
you. For me, it was imperative I keep
going to school to complete my master’s degree.
I knew that if I stopped, I would not return. So, I kept putting one foot in front of the
other and kept walking—perhaps a little slower, but I kept moving forward,
since stopping would mean I gave up.
6. Remember in those dark, lonely
moments—if you know Christ as your savior; you are not alone. Cling tight to His words, “lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of
the world.” Matthew 28:19
7. Trust
God to provide the best plan for your children as well. He loves them even more than you do and will
provide for them. One of my favorite
verses is Zephaniah 3: 171. 17 The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is
mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his
love, he will joy over thee with singing.”
I can picture God rejoicing and singing over my children with His love
and His Joy as He cradles and comforts them.
8 When fear would try to grip you; remember Isaiah
41: 10 “Fear thou not; for
I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will
strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
9. Never let go of God’s promise in Romans 8: 28
“that all things work together for good to them that love God.” I may not understand why God has allowed a
tragedy in my life to occur; but I can trust His Heart. Through the cancer and many other tragedies
of my life; God became my greatest treasure. I now understand His unconditional love for
me and His desire to share with me His Joy. The Joy I know in Him surpasses all
the counterfeit joys my heart formerly desired.
So, if
you find yourself in a devastating illness, hold tight to the hope that you
have in Christ and you will find that your greatest mountaintop experiences are
found in the valley.
What a privilege to have met you Effie and see the determination you
speak of first hand. Bless you! Have a very happy new year. P.S. If
you don’t need those wigs anymore, I am quickly getting to a point where
I may need them. (-;
You make me laugh just thinking about them on you, so certainly I must send them to you as soon as I find where I packed them since I just moved.