For the past 12 years, my husband Keith, has had the privilege of working from home. He works for a small, highly-specialized consulting firm and while his coworkers are few in number, they are flung far and wide… from Oregon to Atlanta and even a couple in London. He occasionally has to travel to client sites, but for the most part his morning commute consists of two sets of stairs. Personally, I would be an abysmal failure in that environment, but his God-given sense of self-discipline coupled with his West Point Military Academy training enables him to thrive. He is a hard-working man, but eliminating the commute (especially in traffic-snarled Atlanta) nets him much more time with his family than most dads have. We are thankful for that.
The dress code for this work arrangement, as you might imagine, takes “business casual” to a whole other dimension. Shorts, T-Shirts, and flipflops are standard fare. A disproportionate number of his T-Shirts are gray. Why… I have no idea. Most of his shorts are khaki; nothing unusual about that. But for almost 20 years of marriage I have been trying (intermittently) to explain to him that gray and khaki do NOT match. Every single time I say it, he glances down at his “work attire” with a look of complete astonishment on his face, as if he’s never heard such a thing. Then he very calmly tells me, “Gray goes with everything.” And for almost 20 years, his answer has driven me crazy – in that small way that living with another human being in a fallen world can sometimes do.
But as of today, I am officially conceding the point. As of today, I am choosing to AGREE with his position. As of today, I stand shoulder to shoulder with my spouse and declare at the top of my lungs, “GRAY GOES WITH EVERYTHING!!” Why the sudden shift in my perspective?
Well you see, I am officially a very proud member of “Keaton’s Warriors.” The American Cancer Society has designated the color GRAY for Brain Cancer the same way it designated pink for Breast Cancer. (Makes perfect sense) Some of Keaton’s school friends had these bracelets made to show their loyalty and their support. This photo captures my whole family. It's the first time we've dressed alike without the wailing and vehement protesting.
I wear it with absolutely everything! Khaki shorts? Wearing the gray bracelet. Fancy dress and high heels? Gonna wear the bracelet. Brown outfit for Fall? Wearing it. Gray goes with everything!
By way of update, Keaton reached the HALFWAY point of his radiation treatments today. Fifteen down, fifteen to go. He’s doing amazingly well, which I attribute to the prayers of so MANY who are faithfully lifting his name up to the heavens each and every day. His side effects have been minimal, and his attitude has been incredible. Did I mention he makes it to football practice every day after school? Wants to win his starting job back on the O Line. Won’t surprise me a bit if he does just that.
There’s no END to the football analogies I could have chosen for this “halftime” milestone in his treatment, but I figured after the last two posts… you guys were probably sick of an old lady trying to write about football. So I’m going to just stick with what I know best. J
I attended the Women of Faith conference a couple of weeks ago, and heard Kelly Minter teach from the book of Nehemiah. She was great, and God had given her some spiritual insights to share with us that I had never pondered. I was inspired to go back and read the book of Nehemiah for myself. It’s a short book – takes about 30 minutes to read the whole thing. But I noticed something this time through that I had never paid attention to before. I love that about the Bible. No matter how many times I’ve read something, God can open my eyes to it in a different way. That’s a great example of that verse in Hebrews 4:12 that says “scripture is living and active.”
The story told by Nehemiah is not a complicated one. Essentially, the nation of Judah and the city of Jerusalem had been attacked and conquered by a powerful enemy. In bible times, cities were “fortified” for protection, meaning that a literal WALL was constructed around it to keep the bad guys out. Jerusalem’s wall had been flattened, the city had been burned to the ground, and the citizens had been hauled off to the conquering land of Babylon. Nehemiah was born in captivity, so for him… the horror of Jerusalem’s demise was simply a history lesson – the way our kids study Pearl Harbor today. But Nehemiah was a very patriotic soul, and he wanted God to restore Jerusalem to the splendor it once held. So with God’s help, he set out to do that very thing. Rebuilding the wall was his first priority.
That’s just the basic storyline, and I’ve read it many times. It’s exciting. It’s got lots of action and adventure, and it’s an easy read. (You should read it.) So what caught my eye this time that I had not noticed before? In the New Living Translation, Nehemiah 4:6 tells us these words: “At last the wall was completed to half its height around the entire city, for the people had worked with enthusiasm.”
I actually laughed out loud at God. He is so amazing and so personal with us. I had been thinking about Keaton’s upcoming “half way point” with his radiation treatments, and God focused my mind on a passage of scripture that addresses a “half way point.” How cool is THAT? So I began reading with very focused attention. One thing I noticed from the passage is that when a project is NEW, people jump on board “with enthusiasm.” Keaton has had such an incredible outpouring of love and support from family, and friends, and heck - from people he’s never even met. We are so grateful for all of you!
But enthusiasm is not an easy thing to maintain over the long haul. So this pep talk isn’t for Keaton at ALL – it’s for all you wonderful people who wear the gray bracelets. Personally, I think Keaton’s support system is the best that’s ever been! And I know we want to stay sharp.
Cancer is a fierce enemy, and defeating it will not be quick or easy. But we are determined! So was Nehemiah. In his story, it was at the half way point of building the wall that the enemies surrounding Jerusalem began to take notice and step up their game. The going got a little tougher at the half way point, and the workers felt the heat.
Verse 8 says, “The workers are getting tired and there is so much rubble to be moved. We will never be able to build the wall by ourselves.” I love the humanness of that verse. Fifteen roundtrips from Flowery Branch to Egleston DONE… but the “fifteen- to- go” might just start to get old. Keaton would probably like to swap commutes with his Uncle Keith for awhile, but he doesn’t have that option.
As chemo and radiation build up in the body, fatigue becomes a factor. Cancer IS a physical battle, but do not underestimate the mental aspect of the fight. A friend of mine has a husband in the fight. His is Pancreatic. Here’s a quote from a recent Caringbridge entry of his, “The war against cancer is a constant battle of attrition. It tries to wear you down until the patient simply gives up. It is impossible to fight 24/7.”
Nehemiah understood this aspect of his fight, and he took steps to make sure no one gave up. And I want to make sure that Keaton’s Warriors get ready to step in the gap if fatigue (mental or physical) becomes a factor! Listen to what Nehemiah did (again from chapter 4, verses 13 & 14.) “So I placed armed guards behind the lowest parts of the wall in the exposed areas. I stationed the people to stand guard by families, armed with swords, spears and bows. Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the nobles and the rest of the people and said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord who is great and glorious, and fight for your brother!”
What are Keaton’s “lowest parts of the wall?” Well, I don’t know for sure (teenage boys aren’t the most verbally expressive creatures on the planet)… but I think it might just be the isolation his treatment routine brings. He DOES make it to school by 4th period and to football practice after school, but his mornings certainly don’t look like other 16 year-olds. And so, as Keaton’s Warriors, God has stationed us to stand guard at these low parts. How do we do that? What are our swords, spears, and bows? Well, as we're sitting at the breakfast table eating our Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs, Keaton is on I-85 headed in the opposite direction of Homeroom. What would you want in that situation? Probably nothing elaborate – the little things mean so much. How about text messages, or instagrams or other social media words that I have absolutely no idea how to use? How about a note now and then to let him know we haven’t forgotten and we are absolutely remembering to pray! I have become convinced that Keaton’s Warriors are the most creative people on the planet… so I have no doubt that you guys will figure this out!
As the last half of Keaton’s wall gets built (the last 15 radiation treatments), let’s pray that God will supernaturally empower those treatments to SO obliterate this brain tumor that cancer will FLEE from his body forever! Nehemiah 6:15-16 “So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.” If Keaton’s blood counts cooperate, his wall will be completed on October 24th. Now you know the prayer between now and then!
On October 12th, there’s a special football game at The Branch. It’s Cancer Awareness Night. Keaton’s Warriors will be out in masse. There will be T-Shirts to go with our beloved bracelets.
Remember… GRAY GOES WITH EVERYTHING!!!
Isaiah 49:22,23(b) This is what the Sovereign LORD says: See, I will beckon to the Gentiles; I will lift up
my banner to the peoples; they will bring your sons in their arms and carry your
daughters on their shoulders. Then you
will know that I am the LORD. Those who
hope in me will not be disappointed.”
