TJ

Today I may have been inspired by a great many things however the 1 thing I choose to share trumps them all.  He is just a small boy of 8 who attends our church.  I have the pleasure of having him in my group for Vacation Bible School this week.  To look at TJ you would not think he was all that different than any other 8 year old boy who just wants to have fun.

I welcomed the kids as they came in 4 sweet little girls, and then there is TJ the only boy.  He sits next to me and is immediately comfortable and begins asking questions about what we are going to be doing, when do we go outside? when do we have snack?  I showed him our schedule and we went through each station.  TJ then said, "I have to have my snack by 6:00 because I can not eat anything for 2 hours before my chemotherapy and I have that at 8:00!"  He said it like one would say I have to brush my teeth before I go to bed.

I hunted down grandma before she left as I wanted to clarify that as it was already 6:30 and we had not yet begun.  She and TJ talked about it and decided he could have the snack and have his treatment later.  I don't know about you but I don't know many 8 year olds that have to worry about when he has his snack but he knew what he was supposed to do.  He knew he had to use his hand sanitizer throughout the night.

I observed him closely throughout the night and he melted my heart with his soft smile, his curly hair that was beginning to grow back, and his desire to just be a kid.  He did not seem consumed by the fact that I have to go home and have chemo tonight. 

Why the inspiration?  How many of us as adults could be playing so freely, singing, running, laughing just hours before getting a lifesaving treatment? 

Instead, I am willing to bet that most of us would be home under a blanket waiting for what was to come.  Not TJ he was ready to just be a kid and have fun and fit in and that my friends, I bet is what will get him through this, his spirit, his drive, and perhaps his Faith.

In sharing (after learning the creation story) I asked the kids what their favorite weather was and why?  TJ responded "I love the rain, for the way it smells"  At 8 I did not know rain had a smell- I knew it meant I could not go out and play.  I imagine there is a great many things that TJ appreciated that we take for granted.

Inspiration...............Absolutely!


What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
(Matthew 18:12-14 ESV