Heroes of a different kind of battle

Sure we hear of heroes everyday. The ones who fought and died for our freedom and country. By no means am I going to put them down or talk poorly about them. I'm very thankful for those heroes. They are real heroes.

Nevertheless, I do want to speak about another kind of hero--One that fights a different battle. They are also REAL heroes.

I've never understood cancer: how it works, why it's here, even really what it is. But somehow, some way, it exists.

It's the parents of children with cancer that I look up to. How can one human be so strong during a time of tragedy and hurt? You can't do anything for your own child. Cancer isn't a monster under the bed that you can scare away and save the day. It's something, that even with all the treatments and medications, is still incurable. So to see your child go through pain and suffering, and not be able to help, is a battle itself. Anyone who can fight that battle is a hero to me.

What about siblings who have to face the fact that their brother or sister has this awful disease? It doesn't seem fair that someone you're supposed to play with and fight with and stick up for is going through something you can't fix or stand up to. Yet you try and you do your best. This is the hero.

And what about the actual child that has cancer? Can you imagine being 5, 6, 7 years old and battling something way bigger and scarier than you are but not being able to actually see or touch it? It's just something inside of you that is trying to take control. Most kids your age have to worry about cooties and adding 2+2, but you have to fight an internal physical battle of something you don't understand. These kids are TRUE heroes.

Sometimes cancer does take control of your body. Does that mean cancer wins? No! And does that mean you or your child or brother/sister lost the battle? No! They fought their hardest and did their best against this evil, confusing disease. And when anyone does their best to overcome something, then that automatically makes them a winner. Honestly, how can you be a loser when you will be where we all long to go? You're an angel in Heaven living with God for an eternity--no pain, no sadness, no depression, no anger. Just joy. You only can be a winner when you've got God on your side.

So this is my wish: that if I ever have to face this battle in my life, I will still be grateful, I will still be kind, and I will still live my life to please Jesus. This is all we can do in life anyways. Why should we change because we are faced with a physical ailment? You're right. We shouldn't.

So pray for these people. Don't just say you're going to pray but actually stop and pray. It's the least we can do for families who have to face cancer or any other internal physical battle they may be fighting. And remember they are TRUE heroes fighting REAL battles too--just a different kind of battle.

For Ella-Reid and the Mason family: They are REAL heroes.