Eternal Weight of Glory

1-22-15

Clinic went well today! Thank you so much for keeping Ella Joy in your prayers! Extremely thankful to Eddie for driving us to RMH and to Sunny for watching over Asaph this clinic/PT visit. When Ella Joy was getting accessed this time around, she felt the needle go in her port and she was in pain. After that we had to go straight to the physical therapist for her to be evaluated. There have been several random times in the past when she told me that her ankles and knees hurt. I had documented the times and dates, but I never knew why this was happening to her for short periods of time. The last time it happened 1/13/15, it was in the morning right before leaving for school and she asked me to pray for her so she could walk at school. During the evaluation, the physical therapist told me that there are several children going through the exact chemotherapy treatment as Ella Joy who experience peripheral neuropathy because of the vincristine she is taking which could cause ankle pains. In addition, the prednisone or steroids she takes could also induce proximal muscle weakness. The PT also mentioned joint and bone pains that are intermittent could be “growing pains.” There was not a clear reason why she is having these random occurrences of ankle and knee pains, but please pray with me that she would not have them anymore, and that she could be able to continue her chemo treatment without any more setbacks.  After the PT eval, we went back to clinic for her spinal tap.  Praise the Lord her liver test numbers looked better this week! I cannot thank you enough for praying for God to protect her liver and that the high risk of liver damage would decrease. We will continue to keep a close eye on her blood tests.

Please continue praying with us for Ella Joy’s next clinic visit on February 19^th Thursday.

One Bible verse that was heavy on my heart when I was thinking about all the children who have been so brave fighting cancer . . .

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 2 Corinthians 4:17

“Not only is all your affliction momentary, not only is all your affliction light in comparison to eternity and the glory there, but all of it is totally meaningful.” – John Piper

One day when Ella Joy is older and is able to share her testimony, I pray that she would see that God has a divine purpose for her life, all the pains of fighting cancer and going through chemotherapy treatment included. My prayer is that instead of pointing her finger at God, she would raise her hands to the Lord and thank Him for His goodness, love, and faithfulness in her life. I pray that she would realize that living for Jesus, trusting in Him, and loving Him during hard times in her life can contribute to an eternal weight of glory.

One night, when Ella Joy came home from Awana, she was looking forward to decorating her wooden turtle for a race they would be having. She was so excited to decorate it all by herself using extra sticky mosaic tiles. She really wanted to put a gold ribbon in the middle dedicated to all of her friends and other brave children fighting cancer. Every time she looks at this turtle and the gold ribbon, she might remember the pains of being poked by countless needles, all the blood transfusions, her hair falling out (and being made fun of because she looked like a boy), monthly spinal taps, all the medications she dreaded taking, and the side effects that came with them, and the numerous visits to the hospital and ER. But my prayer for her is that most of all, may she reflect on an eternal weight of glory that far outweighs them all . . .