Since Em asked me to put some of my thoughts down in this form, I hope I am able to communicate one of the many things that run around my head these days.
As I sat down to type this an image popped into my mind from childhood. As a boy I wrestled competatively and my dear parents went to countless matches. I remember one in particular. I don't remember how I did, rather I remember coming over to see my mother after the match, and she showed me her hands. There were bruise marks on her hands. I asked: "Mom what happened to your hands".
She said, "you did this."
"How?" I wondered out loud.
She said, "As you struggled out there, I got so into the the match I just clenched my fists harder and harder and I didn't know what I was doing until the match was over."
I learned something that day that we have been reminded of recent days. Sometimes its harder - or at least another kind of hard - to watch someone you love go and wrestle with all their might.
As many of you know, several of our colleagues in Ukraine and some of our dearest friends have been wrestling with cancer. As we watched them struggle, our fists where clenched as the tears rolled down our cheeks. Now the tables are turned and we are on the mat again, while you who are reading this are on the sidelines cheering, crying, and praying. If you looked down, maybe you'd see your own clenched fists.
I want to thank as you, as a husband, for coming around us as you have. I want to thank you for taking us before the Father, and with clenched fists joining in our wrestling match. We have been on both sides of this now and we know that both are very hard. Thank you for weeping with those who are weeping and we trust you will join us in rejoicing when we rejoice. Even now there is much joy as our precious Savior abides with us through this process.
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