The Greatest Gift

   This summer Brian and I had the priveledge to go on a mission trip to Panama. The trip was for a week and for the majority of the trip we were in a remote jungle town. We had a medical clinic, pharmacy, dental office, optometrist and devotionals each night. The lines formed early every morning and people waited (without complaining) for hours. I got to work in all sorts of different areas while Brian was in the dental clinic everyday, all day. We got to witness so much but there is one thing that will remain in my heart for the rest of my life.

   Everyday the line to the dental clinic was very long, people waiting for hours and hours. This day was no exception the line was long and the number of teeth needing to be extracted seemed endless for Larry and Brian. One of the teens on the trip with us, Jesse Stroud, walked into the dental clinic and said that a dad had carried his paralyzed son to the clinic and that they were waiting in line. The son needed an extraction, the boy laid in his dad's arms and Jesse said the dad was very tired from carrying his son this whole way. We told Jesse to bring him to the front of the line. Now when I say "carried" I mean "carried" in the jungle there are no wheelchairs for the paralyzed, no walkers, no canes nothing. This boy was probably 11 years old and weighed probably 65-80 pounds and his dad had carried him all this way. Jesse took the boy from his father and carried him over to Larry. An interpreter told Larry which tooth was bothering the boy and Larry extracted it while the boy laid across Jesse's lap. The thing about this that I will never forget is the look in the father's eyes after Larry pulled his son's tooth. He had huge tears in his eye's and was so greatful that someone had taken care of his boy.

   As a parent can you imagine not being able to help your child? Not being able to make them feel better? This dad has dealt with this everyday of his son's life. His son was dealt a tough card and his disability, no doubt, effects their life every single day. Even with the hardships dealt to them he found a way to still be thankful. His eyes showed just how thankful he was. In this life we will all be dealt hardships of some sort may we all still look for reasons to be thankful and no matter how bad things get may we always know that we have a Heavenly Father who is carrying us just like that father carried his son.