The Bravest Person I Know

brave/brāv/

Adjective:

Ready to face and endure danger or pain; showing courage.

Often when we hear this word, we think of soldiers, law enforcement officers, firemen. Maybe we think of Christians who are persecuted, or Rosa Parks, for taking a stand for equal rights.  In this modern day, few of us probably get to meet someone that is really, truly brave.  I have met such a someone.  She isn't a fearless soldier, although she is fearless.  She is not a courageous fireman or law enforcement officer, although she is truly courageous.  She is not a persecuted Christian in a foreign land, although she is certainly persecuted.  She is a not quite 17 year old, just a couple inches over 4 feet tall, who has had to endure much more in her short life than nearly all of us will in all of our years. 

She is my niece, Sarah. 

Sarah has Eczema.  Now, most of you are thinking "Well, that's just dry skin.  Hardly anything to be brave over."  No, for Sarah, it isn't just dry skin.  It is dry skin over every inch of her body. Skin so dry it flakes constantly, cracks open, and leaves sores and scars.  Her skin can be so dry that the backs of her knees crack open to the point she cannot walk.  Even the creases around her eyes can and do crack open.  Look down at your body.  Imagine that every crease in your skin is now an open wound.  Think about a mosquito bite or the worst case of poison ivy you have ever had.  Multiply it to COVERING YOUR ENTIRE BODY.  That is what Sarah endures EVERY DAY.  Now, imagine you are a 16 year old high school girl, who has to go to school every day with flakey skin, a bottle of moisturizer to be applied every hour in order to make it through, and a stature that is extra small due to the many medications she has had to take over the years.  Hmmm...think about YOUR high school days.  Do you think that your peers would be loving and accepting of you?  Do you think they would see your sweet smile or be too distracted by your mottled appearance?

THAT is why Sarah is the bravest person I know.  Brave because she gets up every morning, even when she hasn't been able to sleep because the itching is so bad, spends MUCH MUCH longer trying to look "normal" just so people will not stare and she goes to school.  Brave because her whole life she has had to defend her illness.  "No it isn't chicken pox , or scabies, or anything else that is contagious.  It's just Eczema, and I have it really really bad."  Brave because her whole life people have stared at her, wondering what is wrong with her but not really being compassionate. Brave because last week at lunch, her "regular" crowd wasn't there, and when she went to sit at another table, all of the kids got up and left.  And most of all, she is brave because tomorrow night, Sarah will go to her Junior prom, BY HERSELF.  A date would have been too much to ask for, even though Sarah is such a delightful companion.  Smiling, giggly, silly, fun.  But Sarah couldn't even find one of her friends to go with her.  So tomorrow, Sarah will have a facial to hopefully smooth out some of the uneven tones.  She will have a hairdresser put her long, thick hair in a beautiful updo.  She will get dressed in her beautiful pint sized dress, and go to the prom, alone. 

I wish I could change it for her.  I wish that someone would have compassion on her and accompany her to the prom.  I wish....SO MUCH for Sarah because the world has been so cruel to her.  Wishes don't do anything, but I wanted to share why...

Sarah Lindsay Houston is, by far, THE BRAVEST PERSON I KNOW.  And I could not be prouder to be her aunt.

God provides even the littlest of things...

8 years ago this month, God provided us with a lovely home in a rather miraculous way.  It has been a blessing to us and to anyone else we could bring into it, and we are very thankful.  The trying economy, our decreasing income, our first children heading off to college in a few years, and the expense of running this household have prompted us to (once again) place this home up for sale.  We had only planned to stay here a few years, and now it has been 8.  Our finances are incredibly tight, and we have been faithful to let God know that we are willing to do whatever He asks.  That has caused us some dramatic cutbacks in many areas.  Recently Truett asked for new cleats for baseball.  He is almost out of his size 9s, and after all, the older boys wear the cleats with spikes in them instead of rubber.  I told him that our budget really did not allow for new cleats until absolutely necessary, but I would continue to look for a bargain.  So far, visiting Good Will and thrift stores had proved unfruitful.

Since we have taken the Dave Ramsey statement to heart,"Sell so much the kids think they're next!", we held a yard sale over the weekend.  This yard sale was to help our ailing budget, but also to set aside at least half of the money for four of the kids to go to church camp this summer, and for three of them to go to Child Evangelism Traning.  This training will enable them to teach 5-day Bible Clubs throughout our community the rest of the summer. While it is a wonderful mission endeavor, which equips them in ways for Christ far beyond this summer, it is over $300 per child to attend.  When we opened up our yard sale on Saturday, I simply asked God to replace the grocery money I had spent this week, which was roughly $200.  I labeled envelopes for each of the children to set aside the extra money for camp.  Five hours later, we had nearly $600.  How exciting for our family to see Him provide above and beyond what we had asked!

Even more amazing, my friend and neighbor stopped by our sale.  She had picked up several things and asked what I wanted for them.  She is our favorite for giving hand-me-downs, leftovers, and miscellaneous, the most recent being a dorm room refrigerator which will come in handy in another year or so.  I refused money on the basis of all of the blessings she has given me!  She left and a few minutes later came back with an armload of sporting equipment.  Her son, she explained, had given up BASEBALL for Lacrosse, and didn't need them anymore.  In addition to some uniforms (2 sizes up from Truett!) and 2 very nice gloves, guess what was in that pile?  Size 9.5 cleats. With spikes.  In great condition.  Furthermore, as my friend was walking away, shaking the now empty duffel bag to get out the leftover dirt, she found a gold chain that her son thought had been stolen long ago!  Her kindness to me revealed another blessing to her!

We have said often it will take a miracle to sell our house.  I have a God in the miracle business!  If he can provide baseball cleats to my son from a friend that didn't even know I needed them, then I am confident He will sell this house when He seems fit, and will be glorified all the more. How marvelous is it that our God knows exactly what we need? And even when there is guilt that we cannot provide a reasonable want to our children, He chooses to bless us with it anyway? I have a faith that is so very small!  I am thankful that God loves me in spite of it.  And loves me enough to provide my son with baseball cleats, in just the right size. I hope my faith continues to grow to be just the right size, too.