Tender Mercies at a Difficult Time

Beginning radiation was a very emotional time for our family.  A new toxin, a new treatment with lasting, debilitating, and potentially fatal side effects.  Much like the spinal surgeries, much like starting chemotherapy, beginning radiation was yet another time when we had to take our little Emmett and subject him to something that could change his life forever.  What made things even worse was that the disagreement between Dana-Farber and Mass General wasn't resolved when we started radiation - it had only come to light three days before, and not much happens over the weekend at hospitals...except in the minds of parents endlessly walking the halls, terrified by the thought of radiating their only child on the coming Monday.  How were we supposed to feel comfortable beginning radiation therapy if the doctors weren't in agreement on Emmett's treatment plan yet?

How thankful we are that a loving God provides tender mercies to help us get through our darkest times.  As described by Elder David A. Bednar, a tender mercy is a personal and timely message of comfort and reassurance from the Lord Jesus Christ.  Often they come as very personal and individualized blessings of assurance, guidance, loving-kindnesses, consolation, and support.  They do not occur randomly or merely by coincidence. Often, the Lord’s timing of His tender mercies helps us to both discern and acknowledge them.

How grateful we were to receive several tender mercies the day before Emmett's radiation treatment began.  The morning of Sunday, May 20th we received an email from a friend who had recently visited a sacred Buddhist shrine high in the mountains of Taiwan called the Eternal Springs.  While she was there she was thinking a lot about Emmett and she took the Taiwanese equivalent of a penny, made a special wish for Emmett, and threw the penny into the springs.  It was comforting for us to know that so many people are thinking of and praying for Emmett wherever they are around the world.

It also so happened that a solar eclipse took place that day, what one might consider a sign and wonder in heaven.  What adds to it is that the best place for viewing the eclipse was Albuquerque, New Mexico, the home we love and miss so much.

Then later that day I received a Facebook message from Malcolm, one of the young men in the church youth group I work with in Albuquerque.  In the message Malcolm said to show support for two of his good friends who are battling cancer, his cousin Marshall and our little Emmett, he had shaved his head!  You have to understand, Malcolm is known far and wide for his Justin Bieber hair; it's his trademark.  To think that he had shaved it for Emmett was so touching, right to the heart.  When I called Malcolm that night imagine my surprise when he told me that other young men had shaved their heads too, including Caleb and Tony, and that Aaron and Jesse were going to shave theirs the coming Tuesday.  I was completely overcome with emotion. 

We haven't asked or encouraged anyone to shave their head for Emmett; we haven't wanted anyone to feel pressured to show support in any particular way.  But somehow what these young men did strengthened us in a unique and powerful way on a day when we needed strengthening so badly.  And that's when we realized that all the things that had happened that day weren't merely coincidence, but were tender mercies from a loving God who was providing us with love, encouragement, and reassurance that we were on the right path for Emmett at a time when we weren't receiving the support we needed from our medical professionals.  And how cool that an answer to our prayers came through a group of young men who I've worked to help recognize answers to their own prayers over the past year.  I love and miss those guys so much!

Youth group from NM

Head Shaving Party

 

 

I know that God loves us and is mindful of the unique challenges we all go through.  And I know that if we look for His hand, we will find it guiding us!  May we ever do so!