Praying for Noah

I have all sorts of photos that I want to post. They are of my car's vicious attack on the garage door last week, but something much more serious is on my mind right now.

I have a SEVERE feeling of helplessness and I read updates from a sweet couple in Alabama - John David and Jessica Crowe - as they battle an aggressive form of brain cancer in their son, Noah. John David is the worship leader at Friendship Church in Athens, Alabama. I had the priviledge of singing with him many Sunday mornings during worship and I know he and Jessica both walk very closely with the Lord. However, their faith is being tested at this time as they struggle to put one foot in front of the other to walk down this tough road. The beautiful thing is that they are allowing God to lead them and it is AWESOME and WONDERFUL to see their faith in action -- if only the circumstances weren't sooo challenging. (To see their writing and updates on Noah, as well as photos of this precious little boy, you can go to http://www.prayfornoah.weebly.com/.)

I just want to ask anyone who comes across this blog to pray PERSISTENTLY for Noah. I use the term persistence because it was in KidzVenture just this past week that we talked about praying w/persistence. I joked with the kidz because our Bible verse was 1 Thessalonians 5:17 and our translation (NLT) stated, "Keep on praying." I had the kidz read the verse 3 times with me...one right after the other...and said - "There. Now you have memorized a Bible verse this week." They laughed, but if no one else had it memorized - I did - and I have needed it.

We spoke about praying with persistence being more than whining and asking God for the same things over and over again. Persistence comes in to play when God is saying wait or you feel like he hasn't answered just yet. Persistence means walking with God in an active way while continuing to pray for something that you think God would want. But all the time being willing to accept God's will in the situation. That sounds soooo good on paper (or the computer screen) but to walk it out is a VERY different story. I find myself getting discouraged and giving up when my prayers take a while to be answered. I know now that my focus is all wrong.

Noah has a long road ahead of him - perhaps 2 more months in Birmingham for treatments, etc. His cancer is most likely malignant. It was the size of a grown man's fist. They weren't able to get it all because of the proximity to the brainstem. But every step of the way, God has sent Christ followers to minister to the Crowes...even the team of doctors and nurses that performed Noah's surgery yesterday PRAYED for him and themselves as they began. God is using John David and Jessica at Children's Hospital to minister to other parents who are also hurting...but who see something sooo different in the Crowe family. God's hope.

The Bible verse that they are clinging to at this time is this. "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them." Romans 8:28 NLT

I am going to purpose to be persistent to pray for them. Will you join me?