Day 7 - June 22 - Ready, OK!

I had a pretty good visual image this morning that fits into what I want to say, so here goes...

Have you ever seen one of those cheerleading competitions? One where these teams of perky people stack themselves up to the sky into all sorts of formations? I'm pretty convinced that if I tried this with my friends and family, we'd pull a big "humpty-dumpty" and all come tumbling down. It takes these folks a lot of work, skill and a good coach to put together these things so that they work right.

Now here's the image - there's this big pyramid of people. At the bottom is this great big layer of strong, sturdy folks, interlacing their arms so they can stand the strain of all that's placed upon their shoulders. Standing on their shoulders is a smaller group of folks, again bracing against each other to spread the load downward in an even and balanced way. On those folks' shoulders, there are two or three people - once again leaning into each other in order to support the weight that the coach has decided will be carried by them. Finally, at the pinnacle of the pyramid, there's one tiny soul, perched dangerously high above the ground. As long as every member of the squad does exactly what the coach has dictated as their role, the person at the top is secure, and the crowd roars, the judges smile, and the trophies are handed out.

What I'm trying to say is that Connor is the tiny, pig-tailed cheerleader at the top. He is being directly supported by his family, Cherié, Joélle and I. We, in turn, are depending on both each other and our next layer of support, our family and friends - Brad and Kent with the blog; the friends who flock to our side to feed us, clothe us, and house us; and all our friends and family who are praying unceasingly for Connor and for us. Finally, this group is completely being held up and supported by the steady, faithful, unceasing prayer being offered up on our behalf by a very, very large group of individuals; most of whom do not know us, have not met us, and only help because of one thing - the direction of our Coach, the One who designed this pyramid, who brought the participants together, who developed the skills in each of us to fulfill our role, and who orchestrates the whole, seemingly precarious balance.

I cannot do justice to the list of people I owe for their great, great service to me and mine. I am astonished at how God has brought people together from every part of the world, from every walk of life, from both well-known and unknown walks, to gather together in prayer for my son and for what God is doing through his ordeal. I could never begin to thank you for what you are doing for us, so I must be satisfied that one day in eternity, I'll shake your individual hands and give you a big hug in gratitude for your service to God, and through Him, to my boy, my family, and to me.

Thank you, friends. Thank you for your faithfulness. Thank you for your selflessness. Thank you for your endurance, your perseverance, and your obedience. Thank you for your gifts, your thoughts, your comfort, and most importantly, your prayers. We continue to covet them, and we thank and praise the Lord for His provision through your hearts and hands.