Sickness, prayers for others, and a teen named Zach!- (Book Review too)

Oh my word.  I am so tired of sickness and injuries.  A few months ago we battled a run of illness.

 First it was the 12 year old.  Temperature.  Then cough.  Then walking pneumonia. Then Bronchitis.
Then it was the 16 year old.  No temp. Extremely sore throat, headache, and horrible cough.  Virus.
Then it was the 6 year old.  High temp. and headache for two days.  Healthy 24 hours.  Then cough, sniffles and sore throat.
Then dad.  Horrible sore throat.  (does anyone else hate when dad is sick???)
Then me.  Headache, low grade temp, horrible cough.  Sinus congestion. Throat and ribs hurt from coughing.  It took two rounds of antibiotics to kick that sinus infection.

Then I slipped during our move while climbing on a chair and hurt my knee.  It resulted in intense pain when going up and down stairs and being useless for parts for the move.   As that began to heal my opposite hip and leg starting hurting, supposedly from favoring knee on the other side.  Back to the heating pad.  While both seem to be getting better, I think, I have been on Motrin and a heating pad for almost two months now.

So our normally healthy family spent weeks in and out of bed.  We saw a doctor 5 weeks in a row and I have been back since.

Thank goodness for Elderberry syrup and Thieves, peppermint, and eucalyptus essential oils! Thank goodness for homemade chicken noodle soup and heating pads.  Thank goodness for a child who can run this house when mom is down.

And thank goodness for normally good health.

We are blessed.  We are also not immune.  I know that at any moment, things could change and God could take us down a different path.

Which brings me to a beautiful book I want to tell you about.  I recently had the privilege of reading Fly A Little Higher, by Laura Sobiech.  Fly A Little Higher is about the life of  Laura's son, Zack.  As a teen, Zack was diagnosed with cancer that eventually spread and took his life.  Laura writes a beautiful story of her son, his courage, and his fight to make a difference on the world before he died.

Not gonna lie - I cried through most of this book.  My daughter cried through most of this book.

But we were also inspired and challenged at this young man's life and his testimony to faith. Would we handle such adversity with such courage?  Would we inspire others to have faith and do good for others? Would the family who has whined for the past few months about simple colds and minor injuries face dying with dignity?

Wow.  I just don't know.  But I can hope that after reading Zach's story we would be one step closer to those things.

So why read a sad book?

Right now we have several friends and their children who are battling much bigger health concerns than we can imagine - chronic health concerns.  Things that don't just go away after a few weeks of rest and good medicines.  It breaks my heart and it humbles me and it re-adjusts my bad attitude.  (yes, I have had a bad attitude!)

These past few weeks as I spent a whole lot of time on the couch or in bed and reading Zach' story, I have also spent a whole lot of time in prayer.  Asking for forgiveness for my bad attitude and for strength and healing for our friends and their precious children who battle daily. And for the courage to face whatever God has for my family with a willing heart and spirit.

Reading about Zach reminded me to not take our good health for granted.  It reminded me that there are people who need more prayers than we do.  It reminded me that faith can make bad things look a little better.  And it reminded me that God does indeed draw close to the broken hearted.

Hope is something much bigger than anything physical we may desire.  It is about raising our eyes from a point on the horizon to the heavens and into eternity.  And it's about relying on God's grace to do it, no matter what the cost. (page 158)

We would love to  pray for you this week - just leave a comment and tell us how we can pray specifically!

We would also like to share Zach's story with you.  Leave a comment here and one person will be randomly selected next Friday!

Blessings,

During Zach's illness he wrote a beautiful song called "Clouds".  The week of his death it hit #1 on iTunes, inspiring and touching thousands.  Grab your copy HERE.

This post is part of the Fly a Little Higher Blog Tour which I am delighted to be a part of along with hundreds of bloggers raising awareness and giving hope to those with cancer. To learn more and join us, CLICK HERE!