Football Glory

Brennen loved to play football. Both boys had received football playsets for Christmas when they were young. Gearing up with uniforms, shoulder pads, and helmets and playing football with his brother was one of Brennen‘s favorite pastimes. He learned very quickly that I would whistle the game over if I heard Bryson crying – If Brennen wanted to play football, he would have to give his brother plenty of opportunities to be on top of the two-man pile.

As a Junior in high school, Brennen had been given a few opportunities to play on the Varsity team. He wanted much more for his Senior year and worked overtime in the summer to be in top physical condition. He soundly believed that he needed to do his duty to God so that he would be able to receive all the blessings that God would grant him during his football season. The first game of his Senior year was met with much anticipation. I arrived early.  Brennen was already there and dressed. I saw him over by his car seemingly retrieving something. I parked with the intentions of sneaking up on him with a nerdy mom “Boo!” As I turned the corner, I saw him reading his scriptures. (He learned to love his scriptures by learning to love the candy bar his church teacher gave him each Sunday if he had read that week. Years later, we were seeing results from that developed habit!) I gave him a soft knuckle to the arm and told him “Way to put your trust in the Lord” and then walked away truly grateful for what I had seen, and wondering if his commitment to God would be rewarded on the field…

The season was soon underway and there was much excitement and chatter about how much Brennen had improved. He was having a lot of fun playing the game he loved. On the third play of the third game, he was blocking for the running back. A sharp pain shot up his arm and into his neck. The pain didn’t go away for the rest of the game and he was losing the ability to move his arm. By the end of the game, he physically could not lift it. The team trainer thought it was a stinger but such diagnosis proved to be wrong.  The orthopedic doctor believed Brennen had severely stretched some of the nerves in his shoulder and neck and perhaps even partially tore them. The doctor told us that depending on the severity of the injury, Brennen might be able to play again in a couple of weeks. A week at a time the doctor continued to say “Perhaps one more week.”

Without significant change, there were no more weeks and football season ended.  The disappointment was replaced with excitement for basketball to begin. Brennen’s shoulder injury seemed to heal fairly well, however, he was having pain in his hip. A quick trip to the doctor for final clearance on his shoulder resulted in an x-ray of his hip. The picture of the hip resulted in further MRIs, CT and bone scans.  We learned from the radiologist that there was a five-inch tumor in Brennen’s thigh. We were told it was two possibilities: either cancer of the bone or a healing fracture. There was no Senior basketball season. The next couple of weeks were met with preparations to travel to a cancer center in Spokane, WA to have more tests done. A risky surgical biopsy procedure with a 10% mortality rate was scheduled for the day following the initial appointment with the oncologist.

I felt emotionally exhausted. I had tried to mentally prepare for the worst. One chilly night with beautiful bright stars, I found some time and space alone outside.  I looked up into the heavens and began to speak with God. I felt like this was a test and I knew the right answers and so I told them to God, trying to believe in them myself. I told Him I would do my best to be strong. I asked God if he was going to take Brennen early from our family. I told Him that I would love to have Brennen stay with us for a while longer, but would understand if He had a different course for my son. I knew I needed to be strong and continue in faith…but I didn’t know if I actually could. That night I chose to bask in the peace and love I felt instead of interrupting it with my fears of the unknown…

Brennen was dealing with his own emotional and spiritual journey. He said on the drive to Spokane he wondered what life would be like the next week if he had cancer and how different things would be. He also said he had an overwhelming feeling that everything would be okay no matter what the diagnosis. He said “I have to put my trust in the Lord and know this is happening for a reason on God’s timeline. I know my job is to have humility and accept His will.”

The appointment with the oncologist ended unexpectedly. He came into the exam room having previously reviewed Brennen‘s chart and pictures. He said without question “This is not cancer. It looks like someone just beat up  your leg.” Brennen told him he played football and it had hurt a couple of times throughout the season but his shoulder hurt worse…

Brennen says a big part of his own conversion had to do with the struggles of his senior football season and tumor. It was unexpected and hard to not be able to participate in sports during his senior year. He felt like trials small and hard from high school classrooms and social expectations to the playing field seemed to come non-stop. But there was a hush of those frustrations knowing he had dodged cancer… His life legitimately felt like it was not his own. He knew God was calling the plays…
He summarized his experiences with a simple phrase: “Those things were not in any script I would have written for myself but they helped me with my conversion to Christ”.

These experiences were certainly tests of faith. However, I feel like we got off easy… Perhaps it’s all God needed from us at the time. My son seemed resolved and committed to Heavenly Father moving forward with faith in Christ. He felt like he had been given a second chance and we saw the light of Christ in the things he said and did. Truth is: we were grateful it was a seemingly small trial…this time…

-JC

As I reflect on these experiences today, I ask myself:
Do I truly understand that Christ experienced all of our mortal pains and afflictions?
How do I recognize that I can truly be understood by Him?
Am I an example of the believers?

Scotcheroos

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1  ¼ cups peanut butter
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
1 cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips

Measure Rice Krispies into large bowl.

Mix sugar into corn syrup. Heat until dissolved, not boiling.

Stir in peanut butter.  

Fold into Rice Krispies.

Pat into greased 9 x 13 pan.

Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips together.  

Spread onto Rice Krispy bars.

Let set. Share!