Thirty

So many of you out there have been faithful to ask about Keaton, so I wanted to use the blog to provide this update.  Keaton has brain cancer.  The official name is “Anaplastic Oligodendroglioma.”  Medical treatment has begun in full swing.  He has already had surgery, where the largest of two tumors was removed by the fabulous medical team at John’s Hopkins in Baltimore.   (Many among that staff are now considered true friends of our family.)   The lone remaining tumor is going to be wiped out with a combination of radiation treatments and chemo.  That will be done locally here at Egleston in Atlanta.  We look forward to meeting new friends on THAT medical team.  Thirty radiation treatments have been prescribed and will begin next Thursday 9/13/12.   (Five per week for six weeks.)   The chemo will also begin next week, and will be the oral variety.   These details for treating the remaining tumor were relayed to us yesterday.  Details have to be digested in bits and pieces or else one chokes.

I’ll admit when I first heard that the number of prescribed radiation treatments for Keaton was THIRTY, my heart sank a bit.  There was a physical heaviness pressing in on me – a bit like the flack jacket they drape across you at the dentist when they are taking x-rays of your teeth.  I quickly tried to “take those thoughts captive” and turn to a more positive mindset...because that’s what we’re commanded to do in scripture.

 

“Thirty isn’t so many, really” I said to myself.  But my words rang hollow in my spirit, and I knew it.  Try telling a kid who’s counting down the days to Christmas that “Thirty isn’t so many” and see what kind of reaction you get.  

I have decided that I have tremendous respect for coaches.  Before the big game when the other team is bigger and stronger and has a better record, or at half-time of the big game when the team is not faring too well against the opponent, the coach must use words to change the team’s perspective.  The coach must make “30” seem like no big deal.

I grew up playing every sport available to girls back in ancient times, and while that was considerably less than girls have today, I still learned something very important. There’s something that separates good coaches from bad, something that separates coaches who are actual LEADERS from coaches who simply earn a paycheck.  The good ones, the leaders – actually BELIEVE that “30” is no big deal; it isn’t just rhetoric for them.  Their passion is contagious and they help players BELIEVE that victory is not only possible… it is WELL within reach!  Do they lie about how hard it will be?  No.  But they change the perspective and focus of the locker room  FROM  “how big the opponent is, or how lopsided the scoreboard is”  TO  “how many tools we have available to US to defeat them!”  The  leader coach   BELIEVES in the victory; BELIEVES in and loves his players.

You see, good PLAYERS know truth from rhetoric.  They KNOW when a coach is building them up versus setting them up.  They KNOW fact from crap.  They just do.

When I first heard the number of radiation treatments was THIRTY, all I could come up with was… crap.  So I did what I always do in that situation.  I asked God to give me HIS perspective.  I wasn’t really asking so that I could help Keaton, although that would be a great outcome, I just wanted my OWN thoughts to be more aligned with God’s.  That’s really the whole purpose of prayer. I wanted to be one of those coaches who BELIEVES.

I didn’t get much from my initial prayer.  It was uttered in the middle of Friday afternoon rush hour traffic in Atlanta.  (For those of you who have been there, I need say no more.  For those of you who haven’t, I’ll simply say that sometimes in life it is HARD to be a good Christian girl.)   I was driving one son to an appointment and rushing home to greet the other son from the bus.  The prayer was offered in the middle of a busy day, in the middle of a busy phase of life.  Does it surprise you that God did not respond to me immediately in that setting?  Why should He?  I wasn’t really paying attention to Him.  What DOES surprise me is that He honored even THAT prayer, uttered in THOSE distracted circumstances, AT ALL.  Oh the mercy of our Father!! 

As I woke up this morning, slowly because it was Saturday – the one glorious day of the week I don’t wake up to an alarm – I lay in bed still and quiet.  I just stayed there for a minute.  The clock still started with a six.   (My farm girl roots grow deep, and late for me is anything that starts with a seven.)   I just lay there still for a minute, and God began to answer my prayer from yesterday’s rush hour.  It wasn’t a long conversation… just a few words, but a smile spread across my face and I came downstairs to greet my family.  I grabbed some coffee and my bible and started researching the thought God greeted ME with to start my day.

Thirty.

King David is undeniably the most famous king in all of scripture.  He was known as the “man after God’s own heart.”  He was chosen to be king by God himself… not by the people of Israel.  King David became famous as a  warrior  king.  He led his army into countless battles and had the greatest Win/Loss record of any king in his day.  He collected some interesting trophies from his Wins… but I’ll let you read about those for yourself.

One of the smartest things David did as King, was to select an elite group of fighting men among the hundreds of thousands under his command.  It was his “All Star Team.”  Because he was so wise, and such a good leader, David knew that every good team needs a name to give them an identity.

The name of King David’s All Star Team?   THE THIRTY.   You can read about them in 2 Samuel 23.  Scripture doesn’t tell us the bio’s of each and every one of The Thirty, but it tells us enough to let us know these were NOT ordinary soldiers.  The team captain of The Thirty was a man named Abishai.   (I just call him Abe.)   How did he get that position?  Nothing much.  He just killed 300 enemy soldiers by himself in an actual battle.  Did he do this from the safety of a tank?  (In bible times, those were called “iron chariots.”)   Nope.  He did it with a homemade spear in hand-to-hand combat.  Abe would have been a great O-Lineman.

There was also a guy on the team named Benaiah.   (I just call him Ben.)   Simply put, Ben was a stud.  When the opposing team had high-profile players, The Thirty summoned Ben to the front.  He delighted in taking down the Sports Illustrated cover boys.   (Scripture called them “champions.” They probably would have been Middle Linebackers or perhaps blitzing Safeties.)   When Ben got done with them, Scripture just called them “dead.”  

Ben did a few other things worth mentioning as well.  Once ole Ben got mad at a lion that had been wreaking havoc on the land.  He chased the lion down – on a snowy day – and killed him.  A stinkin’ LION – in the SNOW.  Did I mention he was a stud?  This one is for you, David Andrews... Ben would have been a great CENTER.   (Thanks for the autographed football from the Dawgs, and for taking the time to encourage Keaton.  We're fans of your character and your team!)

Yet another time Ben, armed only with a big stick, killed a “great Egyptian warrior” who was armed with a spear.  Spear?  No problem.  Ben just took the thing away from the “great Egyptian warrior” and killed the guy with his own spear.

I could go on, but I think you get the point… which is the point God made to ME this morning as I lay still enough to actually listen.  How you interpret “thirty” radiation treatments is all in how you look at it. 

So Keaton, here’s God’s “pregame pep talk” for the radiation treatments that begin next Thursday 9/13/12. 

Because you are one of the smart athletes who can readily tell “truth from crap,”  I’ll shoot it to you straight.  The fact is that there are MANY cancer cells banded together to form the tumor that currently resides in your brain.  God has chosen THIRTY radiation treatments for you precisely BECAUSE that’s how many you need.  Is it a lot?  Yep.  That’s why He gave us the Bible. The stories in scripture REALLY happened – they are all true.  Is it LOGICAL that “Abe” could kill 300 enemy soldiers by himself?  One against 300?  I don’t think those are odds anyone would volunteer to fight.  But Abe wasn’t really alone.  It was Abe + God.  I like THOSE odds very much.  The radiation will be strong by design.  But the fact that God will be with you is the real difference maker.  I know there are alot of cancer cells, but we have THIRTY radiation treatments... and our guys slay 300 at a time.

Cancer is a high profile disease.  It gets lots of press.  It’s famous in fact.  Remember Ben?  He was one of The Thirty.  He delighted in taking out the high profile opponents.  Ben is on our team, Keaton.  Ben is just  one  of the Thirty treatments God has prescribed for you.  I’m starting to like our team quite alot - and I haven't even had a chance to talk about the chemo yet!

So, here are the REAL facts.  The opponent?  Brain Cancer.  Our Team?  God.  Scripture.  A brilliant Medical Team spanning two states.  A strong Christian family.  The THIRTY radiation treatments.  Chemo.  And all of YOU, who make up TEAM KEATON.  It’s six days til game time.  Let’s kick some cancer butt and grab some headlines.  God gets all the glory for Team Keaton!

Many of you have asked for ways you could help encourage Keaton.  If you are still interested, send me an email at marybethcook@bellsouth.net.  We came up with an inexpensive, creative idea that I’ll be happy to share with you! But most of all, we ask for your prayers!! 

Keaton, just so you'll know, as of this morning I'm officially one of those coaches who BELIEVE.