The Townsends and The Church

Sunday morning Chad gave a message about our mission as a church. One thing he said is that the church is like a hospital and like a headquarters. He asked if gathering together makes any difference. Later Sunday evening I was checking my email and saw that my friend Alisha had given her testimony at MLC that morning. I wept as I read how the Lord has worked in and through her family - especially over the last couple of years. Thankfully, the Lord allowed the Townsends and our paths to cross several years ago. We were in the same homegroup and regularly I would leave group challenged by Alisha's humility and the questions she would ask. It is obvious when you talk to Alisha that she wants to honor the Lord with her life and that she loves her Savior. We love the Townsends and we are grateful for how the Lord has used them! See, we do need the church. We need other people to point us to Jesus, whether we are going through times of prosperity or great trial. How grateful I am for the church and for the love and care the church has shown this family (and so many others!). How grateful I am that the church is not just a place we gather on Sunday mornings, but are a people who desire to love and glorify our Savior and serve and love one another. How grateful I am for Greg and Alisha's humility in accepting help in their time of need. The Lord has not only used the church to encourage them, but He has used them to encourage the church in many ways. Others have been drawn closer to the Lord through Sarah's trial. I know He has in our home. See, everyday for over a year my girls have prayed for Sarah unprompted by us. It amazes me to see their faith in our God healing her. So many times we've been driving down the road and one of the girls has said "Mommy, we need to pray for Sarah right now" or "Mommy, can we just pray for Sarah" and I've wondered what she's going through right that moment that the Lord would prompt the heart of a child to pray! We are rejoicing with the Townsends and we will keep praying for them!

I asked Alisha and she said I could share her testimony here...

How great though Art.

“O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds they hands have made. I see the stars; I hear the rolling thunder. Thy power throughout the universe displayed. Then sings my soul, my savior God to the, How great though art, How great though art.”

My daughter, Sarah, was diagnosed with stage four, Rhabdomyosarcoma, in April of 2008. She was placed in the hospital immediately to begin chemo and radiation therapy. We were staying in a large room with picture windows overlooking a lake. I was standing, looking out the window one night after Sarah was asleep. The stars were bright and the reflection on the water was beautiful.

In my mind I saw the hand of God holding stars. The hand opened and the stars filled the sky. Then I heard a question. Which is easier, to place the stars in the sky or to heal Sarah? I said, “But what are you going to do?” He said, “I am going to heal her.”

The next night as I was walking in the halls, I heard “How Great Though Art” playing over the speaker. From then on out, it became my theme.

Sarah’s treatment spanned over 18 months. Her schedule was grueling. She had 54 weeks of chemo and six weeks of radiation. Most of her chemo was inpatient, so we were in the hospital 14 days of each month. At times I felt like Abraham who had been promised the stars, but did not always see them shinning.

However, he Lord is faithful, and He carried me through so many days with that promise of healing and many other means of grace.

One of the major lessons that I learned through this trial is that the Lord is my keeper. I memorized Psalm 121 and said it often. “I lift my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”

I could tell so many stories of how God kept us, but today I would like to take the opportunity to tell you how he used the church to keep us.

Instead of listing out the hundreds of people who served us, I would instead like to ask all who served by praying, feeding, cleaning. Laundering, calling, organizing, mowing, giving words of encouragement or any other service that I have now forgotten, to stand.

To paraphrase Elyse Fitzpatrick, “God uses means. You have been the means.” Thank you.

We were brought hundreds of meals. Our laundry was done for months while we were in the hospital. Our yard was mowed for weeks. Our house was cleaned every week for almost a year. When I say cleaned, I mean top to bottom, no stone left unturned, clean. When we were home, Sarah was normally nuetropenic, meaning she had no white blood cells to fight infection. Cleanliness was very important and I could have never kept it up without help.

Although I cannot list everyone who helped, I would like to thank a few people. First, Rebekah Phillips has organized every ounce of help that we have received. She would get a call unexpectedly and was always eager to drop everything and help. She made me feel as if she had nothing else in the world to do but serve our family.

Betty Vallery cleaned our house for a few months, every other week. For those that know Betty, she has a full time job, so she would come after work and stay at our house well after dark.

Denise Vogel cleaned our house, every other week for ten months. Not only did she faithfully clean for us, she also encouraged me along the way. In those moments when I was home as they arrived, she said so many things that lifted my gaze toward God. When I felt like I was drowning in duty, she pointed out evidences of grace that I had not seen. She let me know that God was still working on me and creating good out of a really hard situation.

Mary, Denise’s daughter, came with Denise most weeks to help clean. She folded laundry, cleaned glass, and cleaned the kids’ rooms. She also played with Sarah, made her cards, and brought her presents. Sarah loved to come home after Mary had cleaned her room because Mary posed her dolls and set up areas for Sarah to play.

Elyse Rawlson probably has no idea how much she served me personally. Practically, she has helped me find curriculum and offered advice on home schooling when I was strapped for time and had no idea what I was doing. Spiritually, she has given many words of encouragement to me that have literally picked me up and made my legs move again.

Janelle Phillips was going through nursing school at the time and was a huge means of grace to me. One day I had taken Sarah to the doctor and then for an X-Ray. We went to the cafeteria to get lunch afterwards and ran into Janelle. She asked me how I was doing, and I promptly started to cry. She gave me a hug and bought me lunch.

In addition to the physical help, we received monetary help along the way. As you can imagine, the medical bills added up fast. We have what you would call “major medical” insurance with a relatively high out of pocket expense each year. I am amazed to say that we have not paid a single penny for Sarah’s major medical expenses for two years now. I would say that we have received over 12,000 dollars in donations from you and others.

Time does not allow me to tell you of all the people or moments of service, but understand that this does not begin to convey all the help we received.

We serve a great God, and you all have been a wonderful picture of God’s love to our family.

I am equally amazed to say that Sarah is in remission. Nothing is impossible with God and I am grateful that He chose this route for Sarah and am grateful that He placed us in this church. Thank you Lord, and thank you church.