The 5th Floor

I made my first trip to the child oncology floor at Riley today.  It was like nothing you can ever prepare yourself for.  Driving down I kept picturing in my head what I thought it would look like.  But, once you're there there's no "mental picture" that can prepare you for what you see.

Ultimately, childhood cancer became real. 

No longer something you read about on someone's blog or you see in the mall on tv or the internet - its not a prayer request or someone you heard of - it's your friend and their child that you're now looking at - and its real - and it sucks.

The past few weeks in life group we've been studying Habbakuk - a book that's all about questioning God, which lately I've found myself asking God why people have to suffer, why kids get cancer, and babies unexplainable tumors - ultimately I "know" the answers - the sin, the curse, its all part of it - but it doesn't help the "why" that the human brain just can't wrap around.

I sat in the "family" room spending time with a friend just talking about life, the hospital, and the trials that they are facing.  My heart broke - yet I am thankful that they are able to be there and that they are close so that others can be there with them too.  So many kids come from out of state and don't have family there with them which makes things even harder.

So, would you join me in praying for them and all the kids on a very full and very large floor at Riley ... and if you ever need some perspective on life, just take a stroll through the hospital.