Hi everyone! This is Makenzie!! I’m finally home from college for the summer, and it is great to be home. The end of this past year has been rough, as you can imagine. But I just wanted to say a HUGE thank you to all of you for your support, love, prayers, and many, MANY meals and various gifts of love that you have blessed me and my family with. Even though I have not been home with my family through the majority of this trial so far, my parents would tell me about the many ways that they have been blessed by all of you. I could feel the love and support all the way up in Michigan. I know my family is surrounded by such amazing people and we couldn’t ask for a better army fighting with their hearts full of prayer for my dad.
I know my parents have been keeping up with this blog, and you have been able to read about how they have endured this experience so far. From a daughter’s point of view, it’s also not an easy journey. A dad is so much more than just a father, especially Arthur Vos. My dad is a friend… a BEST friend. He is a brother. He is a son. He is a husband. He is Mr. Fixit. He is my foundation. He is the one I run to when I am upset. He’s my biggest fan. He’s a comedian. He is extremely witty. He always knows just what to say. He taught me everything I know, and I have so much more to learn from him. As Father’s day is just around the corner, I am more aware of these traits that make my dad the greatest dad in the world (in my mind of course :) It’s by no means easy seeing my dad go through cancer treatments. It’s also incredibly hard to believe that he is actually sick, because he looks so healthy. But cancer never fails to remind us what his body is really going through when we see the sores on his hands and feet, and the incredible fatigue he experiences. We know that his side effects could be a lot worse, and we are grateful for that every day.
After my dad’s last treatment, the doctor’s decided to take him off of his chemo pills for a while because his hands and feet were so sensitive and they were afraid of infection. This break has allowed my dad to re-energize! He hasn’t been as tired lately, which is a huge confidence booster for our family. But this break from the chemo pills also means that if he has to start getting back into treatment routine again, it’s probably going to hit him like a ton of bricks. For my Dad and my family, this is a little scary to think about, but at least we know what to expect. We pray that he's finished his last treatment, and that he will be pronounced cancer-free!
I just wanted to remind you all that this Friday at 8:30, my dad will be having a scan to see how the cancer is responding to the treatments. At 11:30, my parents will be meeting with the doctors to talk about the scan. We are asking you all to keep us in your thoughts and prayers as this day approaches, and especially on Friday. We are praying that God blesses us with a miracle this week!
As I reflect on everything my family is facing this week, the fruits of the spirit are evident in my mind. We are asking that you all continue to pray for:
- Unconditional LOVE for each other, even in the midst of stressful and difficult times. Love is one of the greatest medicines and, lucky for dad, he’s got a whole lot coming his way.
- That we continue to find JOY in the little blessings each and every day, because those are the things that make life worth living.
- PEACE in our hearts and our minds, because we know that God already knows what the outcome of this entire tribulation is. And it will be good.
- PATIENCE as we wait for results, and PATIENCE even if we don’t get the results we want.
- KINDNESS to each other, as it has been so hugely shown to us by all of you.
- The ability to remember the GOODNESS of our Lord and all of the countless blessings He has given us that we have seen every day.
- FAITHFULNESS to God even when we have doubts and fears, and continued trust in His FAITHFULNESS that He will continue to keep my family in his hands
- GENTLENESS and the ability to be still and let God fight for us; and the grace to show gentleness to others in the midst of turmoil
- SELF-CONTROL when we are at our wit’s end. And to remember that when life brings us to our knees, we are in the perfect position to pray.
- Strength as my family and I continue to embark on this journey together
- Trust that God has a plan bigger than ours and that He loves us with a love far greater than we can understand
- That my family and I can provide the care that my dad needs. (After all of the many years of my dad taking care of my scraped knees and “boo-boos”, I can finally return the favor!)
- For our family friend Chris Thompson and his family as he continues to recover and live with life after cancer, surgery, and continued maintenance.
- For my Aunt Cindi and my cousins Cori and Jimmy, and for Mrs. Dykema and her kids Ben, Amanda and Abby, as they continue to grieve the loss of my Uncle Jim and Mr. Dykema
- Thankfulness that God continues to bless us and gives us a bright hope for the future
- And finally… A MIRACLE!!
Philippians 4:6-7 seems to be theme of our journey so far. It has revealed itself time and time again to my family in many different ways, so I’d like to leave you with it as you think of my family this week.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 4:6-7
