Today I taught a lesson to my Year 12s about gratitude, and I taught from the verse in 1 Thessalonians 5:18. “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
All circumstances
Therefore, in this circumstance, I give thanks, for every reader, supporter, prayer, petitioner, besieger of heaven, encourager, friend and every person caring for Murphy. Your love and support is felt both in the physical and spiritual. The week that’s been we have had so many moments to be thankful for, and I’ll explain those shortly. I give thanks for what God is doing currently in Murphy’s body, for what we can see, and what for what we can’t see, as well as what He will do in healing Murphy.
Be encouraged, we can all celebrate with Murphy in a wonderful “textbook” collection and harvesting of his stem cells last week. This was a long procedure for Murphy, yet through his determination and bravery he remained on his bed nice and still for F.I.V.E. hours! For those of you who know Murphy, this was a miracle! Our dedicated stem cell nurse was with us for the whole procedure, and as she witnessed Murphy through this time, she was blown away at how well he did. Tuesday evening we received a call to say that the stem cell count EXCEEDED the doctors expectation. This means that the quantity of the stem cells collected was the equivalent of an EXTRA hour and a half of the harvesting process, again, another reason to thank God! These stem cells are what will quite literally be life giving in 3 months’ time when he needs the transplant.
Please pray for the scans and tests this week. The doctors are interested to see what progress has been made, and how Murphy’s body has reacted to the first two rounds of chemotherapy. I ask that you join Murphy in believing that his ‘sick lumps’ are shrinking in size! Pray the bold prayer that declares the lumps be dramatically reduced in the name of Jesus!
Murphy will be admitted this week into hospital for round three of chemo, and I ask that you continue to uphold Nat, Glenda and Murphy in prayer. Nat and Glenda (Murphy’s grandma) have to carry a lot of the weight in caring for Murphy, therefore please pray for renewed strength for them.
I close how I opened this message by saying thank you. Thanks be to God for the victories we have seen, and the ones we will continue to see.
Dress-ups with the fam!