Seeds of Hope

I'm concluding this e-mail from Ben's wife today. If you've been reading my blog for a while know about Ben, the young man with testicular cancer. He is the son of a pastor in my hometown, and he is the same age as my daughter, Sarah. Many of you have commented whenever I have posted about him.

The week after Ben's first hospitalization, before we knew about the cancer, we were all at home, trying to keep him from being too active, so as not to aggravate the hemorrhage. So Ben got the idea to have his dad plant a little vegetable garden that he could watch grow during his recovery time at home. Little did we know what awaited us!!!

However, despite our extended time at the hospital, and our preoccupation with other things (like his daily therapy visits, chemo treatments, etc.) those little plants took root, and are starting to bear fruit. In the same way, during this time of great adversity, I have seen God bring about fruit in our own lives. We have learned to value each moment we spend together. We have learned the importance of hope, hard work, and courage. And we have all learned how to serve each other and work together. What a blessing! I would not have chosen to learn these things this way, but one of the joys of knowing God is that He brings good out of all circumstances, and so we praise him.

Thanks for keeping up with us. Your many cards, letters, emails, prayers, visits, meals, financial gifts, acts of service such as lawn mowing, car washing, and painting, etc. have been greatly appreciated. Ben made it upstairs today for the first time to check his own email, and as he responded to someone's email he said, "I'm gonna get better!" And I believe that he is. So thanks for the part each of you has played in his recovery so far. And please continue to pray with us for complete healing!