Let’s Punch this Bully in the Face!

One week ago, we learned that my daughter Jenni (seen above) has been diagnosed with Triple Negative Invasive Ductal Breast Cancer.  One particular morning, while I was grasping with what to say to her, I texted her just to say I love you and am there for her and asked how she was.  Jenni messaged me back and said, “Dad, the hardest part of this is knowing that my kids will have to watch their mommy go through this.”  What I did not say to her was the immediate thought that came to my mind and it was this: “No Jenni, the hardest thing about this is watching your child go through this and know that you are basically sidelined.”  Though I certainly do understand Jenni’s feeling about the kids.

While grappling with what to say to her, I was reminded of an incident that happened many years ago when I was in the Army and Jenni was about 12 years old.  There was a neighborhood bully that was picking on my son Josh.  Josh was around 8 at the time and this bully was Jenni’s age.  I was sitting in the living room enjoying a day off when Jenni came into the living room complaining about this bully being in the yard picking on Josh.  Smartly (and lazily because I didn’t want to get up from my comfy chair) I said to Jenni, “Well, just go out there and punch him in the mouth.” I didn’t really expect her to do what I said, but sure enough, she went straight out the front door, jump off the porch and punched that bully right in the mouth.  A part of me knows that was wrong – but another part of me was super proud of my daughter.

So, in responding to Jenni’s text, I asked her if she remember the incident with the bully many years ago and she laughingly responded, “Yes I do Dad.”  I then responded, “Well Jenni, what ya say we jump off this porch together and punch this bully in the mouth???”

I don’t know if that was the right thing to say, or even the proper thing to say, but what I do know is that my daughter will not have to fight this fight on her own.  There are some crosses I can’t bear for her: I can’t take the surgeries for her; I can’t take the Chemo for her.  But, I can be there beside her.  I can care for her, and I can assure her that her children are in good hands and we will pray as a family without ceasing.  All she needs to do is concentrate on taking care of Jenni and we will concentrate on every thing else.

I know there is a long road ahead for our family to travel, but we, as a family, are trusting that God is going to work all things for Jenni’s good and for His glory.  I am glad that we have the faith to know that through this storm in the life of our family, The LORD will not lose sight of us, and any time He wants to, He can step on the bow of our ship and say, “Peace Be Still.”