Before Friday night, I’m not sure I would have believed there
was much of ANYTHING “worse than cancer,” especially for a teenager. But that was BEFORE. On Friday night, I received an education in an
outdoor classroom comprised of metal bleachers facing the 40 yard line. And now I understand.
It was Friday Night Lights at its finest. The band was loud and festive, and the home
team made a grand entrance onto the field through a raised banner.
I kept standing on my tiptoes trying to spot Keaton in
the pack of Falcons racing onto the field.
It made me smile to see that he came out of the dressing room last. He was savoring the moment, taking it all in. I think he’s earned that right. He took his time with the traditional rubbing
of the statue, and then jogged to catch up with his teammates as they ran
through the human tunnel onto the sidelines.
It was exciting and just, well, GREAT.
I tried to process all the different emotions swirling
around inside me. Knowing the road Keaton
has traveled for more than a year - the surgeries, the radiation, the chemo,
the endless MRI’s and blood tests – and then seeing him suited up and ready to
compete just felt overwhelming. All I
could do was mutter, “Thank you, Jesus.” Keaton’s path right through the heart of aggressive
brain cancer has been undeniably graced by the supernatural. You see, he’s endured it ALL without missing
much school AND without allowing himself to give up and just lay on the couch
in front of the xbox like so many others would have done. I watched him this summer on our family
vacation, jogging and doing endless pushups and situps, all in preparation for
his senior season of football.
And it was finally here!
The crowd was on its feet, the music was blaring over the speakers, and
we were making complete fools of ourselves cheering for #70. Who on earth cheers for a LINEMAN like that –
I mean maybe a star running back or a flashy wide receiver, but a lineman - who does that? WE
do, thank you very much, and YOU would have too if you had been sitting next to
me in the bleachers.
Keaton got his chance during the 2nd offensive
series. He is no longer a starter, but
we already knew that. We just wanted to
see #70 making some holes, and he did exactly that! The Flowery Branch Falcons SCORED on Keaton’s
first series!! May I just tell you that
we nearly caused our section of the metal bleachers to collapse? I am a short, white, middle-aged woman – but
I’m pretty sure the entire crowd was impressed with my vertical leaping ability
after that touchdown!
We had expected that Keaton would likely play every OTHER
series. We were mentally braced for
that. His stamina was still returning,
so it made sense that he would share the O-Line responsibilities with
others. He was doing a GREAT job
blocking for his tailbacks and quarterback, so I knew it was just a matter of
time before he won back his starting position.
The OTHER series came.
I stood up in anticipation, with the zoom lens aimed at #70. He didn’t leave the sidelines. And then the other, OTHER series came and
still #70 remained on the sidelines.
Three and a half quarters of series went by, and Keaton
remained on the sidelines. His helmet
stayed on his head and he stayed near the coach – ready to go in with just a
GLANCE his way. The glance never
came.
And that’s when I learned in my metal bleacher classroom,
the lesson I never would have believed before last Friday night. The
thing that’s WORSE THAN CANCER is being treated
like a kid with cancer.
I suppose it’s human, as a diagnosis drags on, to begin
to see a “patient” instead of a person.
We tend to focus on all they’ve been through. We focus on the weight loss and the hair loss. And by doing so, we fail to see God when He’s
showing off right in front of our faces.
He’s inviting us into the story – to be PART of the story. How? Put him in the game. Treat him like a kid… not the kid with
cancer. And then? We should marvel at God as the
kid performs. That’s the part God
invites US to play. But sometimes we
choose the safer route. We mean no harm,
of course. We just feel awkward or maybe
a little fearful. We aren’t sure what to
say. So we glance in a different direction. It’s just easier that way.
There are always plenty of emergency vehicles on hand at
a football game to take care of physical injuries or accidents. But what sort of vehicle do you summon when
the injury is a broken heart? I kept
looking, but one never came.
You may not know Keaton personally, but I’ll bet you know
someone walking a hard road. Maybe you
DO know someone like Keaton, with a serious medical condition. But perhaps instead, it’s a friend tangled up
in a messy divorce, or a neighbor in serious financial trouble, or friends with
a kid in rehab. Ask God to bring to your
mind the person in your circle of influence that fits the category. And then pray for courage to pick up the
phone. Take ‘em to lunch. Meet for coffee. Share something going on with YOU and ask for
their
input. PUT. THEM. IN. THE. GAME.
I love the stories of Jesus’ ministry in scripture. I especially love the stories of His
miraculous healings. He didn’t just heal
the physical ailment, He restored the whole person. Remember when He healed the lepers? He sent them to the priest so that they could
be restored to their communities. Jesus
put them in the game. How about that
crippled guy who was let down through the roof?
Jesus healed him… and immediately told him to “go home.” Jesus put him in the game.
We sat in the bleachers last Friday night feeling
disappointed, but we chose to cling to the truth. Paul said it best: “We can rejoice, too, when we run into
problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character,
and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to
disappointment. For we know how dearly
God loves us.” (Romans 5: 3-5 NLT)
I know Keaton is developing endurance and strength of
character. I also know he’ll keep showing
up at practice giving 100%, because that’s the kind of kid he is. He’s surrounded by a great support system,
including his O-Line Coach, whom Keaton has credited with being “his favorite
coach EVER.” Together we are coming around Keaton, and together we'll figure this out. Cancer affects us all.
As you continue to pray for Keaton’s physical healing,
please also pray for the aches and pains that never show up on an MRI. And just for the record, Keaton handles those
a lot better than his aunt.
