Wednesday, July 23, 2008

A Twelve Year Old Named Justin

He's a rising 7th grader with a great attitude about life. He's always smiling, always talking, and always thinking. He's about as bright as they come. On our trip to six flags, Justin rode every ride, never missing a second of the action. He likes to draw comic book characters and cool gizmos and gadgets of his own mind's creation; he is quite the "inventor." If there's a story to be told, he'll be the first one to give you the straight story, including only the most important of details---which typically are all of them. His mind's library of jokes and fun stories combined with his desire to share them never allows for a moment of dull or awkward silence. This is once cool kid! He's fun to be around and always lifts my spirit.
He wants to be extreme. He talks all the time about his Dad (he really loves him) and all the cool stuff he does like sky-diving---I've heard tons of stories about sky-diving from him-- and how when he gets old enough that's one of the first things he's going to do. What a cool kid!
The coolest thing about him, though, is his desire to know and love God. His relationship with Jesus is so obvious, his Joy shouts God's praises. Blake Meyer (the other intern I work with) and I both see the work of the Lord in his life... Praise God for Mrs. Killilay (Justin's mom) and her persistence with raising her boys in the clear presence of the Gospel.

See what a cool kid Justin is? Well, Justin needs our prayers. I beg you for those prayers. Monday morning at 4 am he was admitted to a local children's hospital for Pneumonia (sp?). When they gave him his medication, his body rejected it (auto-immune). So far he has not gotten better, but seemingly worse. His body is fighting itself and the medication with all it has and the pneumonia only grows stronger. He is on morphine for his pain, which inhibits his breathing more. The doctors are confused and uncertainty fills the hospital room with fear. Please pray for Justin and his family. This is a trying time for him, his family, and our church. Pray that Justin would be healed. Pray that his family would be unified and comforted. Pray that God's sovereignty would be clearly seen and accepted in all of this. Please pray. Believe in faith. Claim it. Don't doubt your insufficiency to pray---now is not the time for that.