HANNAH'S HOPE
I don't know Hannah. I never met her. Although we had many, many mutual friends, we never officially crossed paths.
How, then, could this 18-year-old girl have such a profound impact on my life? I mean REALLY profound. Because of her life, I feel like things in my life have been brought back to center. I've talked to many others who feel the same way.
This should have been Hannah's senior year of high school. She should have been on top of the world. Instead, Hannah spent this school year waging an unbelievable battle against a rare and nasty form of cancer. She courageously endured not one but six rounds of chemotherapy. Despite taking extremely aggressive measures, the cancer stubbornly grew larger and larger. (I venture to say, not the way that any of us would choose to spend our senior year of high school.)
I, like thousands of other people, have followed Hannah's highs and lows daily via her website. (Since May, I've logged on first thing every morning!) Our entire city seemed to adopt her. It wasn't unusual to read articles about her in the newspaper or to see large billboards asking the town to pray for her. "Hannah's Hope" bracelets even became the fashion accesory of the season!
Hannah was an attractive young girl. She was never as beautiful as she was just a few weeks ago when she walked across the football field to be crowned homecoming queen of her very large high school. There wasn't a dry eye in the stadium. Her doctor released her from the cancer center just long enough to accept her much-deserved honor that evening. The crown looked beautiful perched on top of her long, brunette wig. Although she was weak, her smile was strong.
Despite much prayer for healing, Hannah passed away this afternoon. She was lovingly surrounded by 50+ friends and family.
I venture to say that the crown she received this afternoon, at 4:30 p.m., was much more brillant than anything she could have imagined on earth.
How, then, could this 18-year-old girl have such a profound impact on my life? I mean REALLY profound. Because of her life, I feel like things in my life have been brought back to center. I've talked to many others who feel the same way.
This should have been Hannah's senior year of high school. She should have been on top of the world. Instead, Hannah spent this school year waging an unbelievable battle against a rare and nasty form of cancer. She courageously endured not one but six rounds of chemotherapy. Despite taking extremely aggressive measures, the cancer stubbornly grew larger and larger. (I venture to say, not the way that any of us would choose to spend our senior year of high school.)
I, like thousands of other people, have followed Hannah's highs and lows daily via her website. (Since May, I've logged on first thing every morning!) Our entire city seemed to adopt her. It wasn't unusual to read articles about her in the newspaper or to see large billboards asking the town to pray for her. "Hannah's Hope" bracelets even became the fashion accesory of the season!
Hannah was an attractive young girl. She was never as beautiful as she was just a few weeks ago when she walked across the football field to be crowned homecoming queen of her very large high school. There wasn't a dry eye in the stadium. Her doctor released her from the cancer center just long enough to accept her much-deserved honor that evening. The crown looked beautiful perched on top of her long, brunette wig. Although she was weak, her smile was strong.
Despite much prayer for healing, Hannah passed away this afternoon. She was lovingly surrounded by 50+ friends and family.
I venture to say that the crown she received this afternoon, at 4:30 p.m., was much more brillant than anything she could have imagined on earth.
II Timothy 4:7&8 "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day..."
posted by L's Lair at
8:33 PM
1 Comments:
You should have been at the funeral service... WOW, in one word! Two hours, thousands of people, and many decisions for Christ!
Although, with thousands of people, you very well may have been there and I just not see you.
By
Anonymous, At
3:30 PM
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home