As my Dad started his first round of chemotherapy my mom let me know it was hitting his body pretty hard. Loss of appetite, hair falling out, and sleeping all the time were indicators the chemicals were attacking the cancer and his body alike. As I look back it is amazing to see the chemo not only killing the cancer but also cleaning my Dad’s soul. I traveled up to see my Dad following the first round and was afforded the opportunity to talk with him alone. Now remember, my Dad has been an emotional stoic for the last 30 years of my life, so talking about the Lord with him is uncomfortable. This time was different. In a very private and very special dialogue I won’t share with anyone, my Dad revealed his relationship with Jesus. Let me just tell you, that was a miracle in and of itself but was in fact, only the beginning of what God had planned.

Dad had two more rounds of chemo to go but we started looking forward to the bone marrow transplant. The doctors told us siblings are the best candidates but if they aren’t a match they would go to the national donor bank. We asked if Dad’s kids could be tested as donors but were told they wouldn’t even test us for Dad because kids aren’t usually a match. In essence, siblings come from the same batch of clay where as children come from both Mom and Dad’s clay. So my Dad’s two brothers were tested and both were found to not be matches. Dad would need to go to the national registry.

Following his third round of chemo, Dad went to the doctor to talk about his transplant. The news was both painful and frustrating. Due to some doctor mumbo jumbo my Dad was told the transplant was too risky and the doctor wouldn’t perform the surgery. He was told with the surgery he would have a 10% chance of survival and without it he had weeks to live. The verse God had given my Dad and I while I was visiting him stuck in my mind: “This sickness will not end in death but is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” (John 11:4) At the same time this is going on my youngest brother received a call from the national bone marrow donors bank. He forgot that years earlier, while serving in the Air Force, he had registered to be a bone marrow donor. First of all, who does that? I mean, unless you know someone going through this, most people don’t register to be a donor; but my brother did. The voice on the other end informed my brother that he was identified as a match for a name less 54 year old man…my dad is 54!

The next day my Dad goes back to the doctor to receive the news that he is actually a little healthier than the doctor first thought, so the surgery could in fact be performed. However, though it could be performed my Dad was told he has an extremely rare form of bone marrow. Typically, a bone marrow recipient has over a hundred matches in the national registry but my Dad had only three. That day he found out my youngest brother was actually one of the three. That day my Dad found out many years before this terrible disease took root God had already begun the process of saving him. That day my Dad found out God is willing to perform an amazing miracle just so he knows how much his God loves him.

If my Dad’s story has been encouraging to you please leave a comment. Let my Dad know how his story has helped you. Any comments you leave on this blog post will get sent to him and will certainly be uplifting. Remember, God has been willing to do so much for my Dad just so he knows how much He loves him. God loves you just as much!