Thankful for Brotherly Love

There are many wonderful blessings that I am thankful for that occurred in 2013. Of course the year was very difficult in many ways. On July 28, at 1:00 pm, after teaching class, preaching a sermon and sitting down to lunch with my wife, I had a heart attack. As it turned out, I had 100% blockage resulting in the widow maker heart attack. The term widow maker is a nickname used to describe a heart attack from a blockage in the highly stenotic left main coronary artery or proximal left anterior descending coronary artery. The term is used because if the artery gets abruptly and completely occluded it will cause a massive heart attack that frequently leads to sudden death. The blockage is made up of platelets that have streamed to the site of a cholesterol rupture. I am very fortunate to be alive, especially considering I did not have a stent put in place until a little after 2:00 am on Monday morning. I spent 6 days in the hospital and am still struggling to recover. So why am I thankful?

I am thankful for the medical care I received and the teams of men and women who worked so hard to save my life and to give me an opportunity for recovery. Many in the medical field are overworked and overstressed. Yet the people at Hendricks Hospital in Abilene treated me like a member of the family or a close friend. The staff at the Comanche County hospital in the recovery department were especially helpful in providing encouragement, support and education as I began my recovery. I am thankful for their care and hard work.

More than that, I am thankful for my personal family that came from all over Texas to come provide support and encouragement. I am thankful for their prayers. I am thankful for their encouragement to Robyn and the kids. I am thankful for their financial help in our moment of need.

I am especially thankful to my spiritual family. There have been many individual Christians who have sent cards and encouragement, who have prayed for me and my family, who have sent financial support, and who continue to encourage us in our recovery. There have been congregations from around the country (Lubbock, Odessa, Vernon, Brownwood, Hamilton, Gordon, and Burnett) that have helped us by sending cards, letters, praying for us and sending financial contributions to help us in dealing with the great financial burden. I don’t know what we would have done without you.

I am thankful for another day to spend with my wife and kids. I am thankful for the opportunity to spend time with my family. I am thankful for the blessing to keep preaching and teaching the gospel. What a blessing it is to have life, breath and all things that God provides for us! It is ever more clear to me that life is but a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. I hope and plan to use my opportunities well this year.

The Hebrew writer said to let brotherly love continue (Heb. 13:1). Paul wrote, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:9,10). Jesus said, “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:28). He also said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

I am so thankful for brethren who have love for Christ, love for Christians, who sow without weariness, who have given beyond measure and who have blessed us with the generosity of their hearts in emotion, spiritual and financial support. I know the Lord will repay your efforts and love. I hope and pray 2014 is a rewarding year for each of you. More than that, I pray you live faithfully unto death and receive the crown of life. We love you!