Turn.

Today was round three of chemo for our mighty warrior.

I’m going to be super honest, the past couple weeks have been so busy I’ve hardly been able to think.

Well, I’ve been able to think. A lot in fact. But I haven’t given myself the time to write.

First, I reorganized all the kids’ rooms and our kitchen. It almost felt like an obsession. Looking back, I’m pretty sure it felt necessary because it is the only thing I’m really able to control right now.

I can’t control the results from the treatments, I can’t control our timeline to Philly, and I can’t control where our road leads.

This week has been consumed with final details for our big event this Sunday and desperately trying to respond to all the amazing folks who have reached out.

So I’ve put writing this message off for a couple weeks now.

And since I feel like the Lord keeps putting it on my heart to write it, I’m finally going to be obedient and do it.

I feel like pictures of roads keep coming to mind. Long ones. Winding ones. Rocky ones. Dead ends.

All of the roads.

I’ve prayed and prayed for an easy, smooth, and straight one. Man how I have prayed for that.

But I see so clearly the straight road isn’t meant to be.

Why?

Because the beauty is in the turn.

Think of how much of the country and world you would miss if you weren’t ever willing, or forced, to turn.

Would you miss the mountains? The beach? The canyons? The fields? The caves?

Never turning off the smooth and straight road means your driving skills would never be tested and you would undoubtedly miss out on so much of what the world has to offer.

So we turn. We turn down the road of the unknown. We turn down the road unaware of where it ends. We turn down the road less traveled.

Today, we headed to Columbus for Brady’s treatment. I’m not going to candy coat it, Brady has been a little grouchy the past couple days. He simply hasn’t been eating enough and it shows.

But off we went. Brady handed out 11 battle pups while at the hospital for chemo. Despite my best efforts to get him to eat, he was still a little salty when we headed out after treatment. But I was still hopeful that he would soon snap out of it.

He had one pup left in the wagon as we walked through the parking garage. We walked past a women lifting her teenage daughter from her wheelchair into the car. I had already walked past determined to try to beat traffic home, but Brady grabbed the last pup and jogged back.

He stood there patiently waiting while the women worked to buckle her daughter in. After about five minutes the lady noticed he was standing there and their eyes met.

And the Lord did what only he can do. Brady explained his mission and asked if we could give them a Battle Pup. The sweet women quickly thanked him for being so thoughtful and accepted his gift.

Brady walked back over to me and that’s when I saw it.

His body language had changed.

Because that’s what happens when you turn.

When you you allow yourself to change directions knowing that the Lord will guide and provide in your travels, your perspective changes.

Your eyes are opened to the world around you and your heart is shifted from inward focus to serving others.

He joined me a few spots over and gave me a side hug. “I’m sorry mom,” He said in a quiet voice. “Thanks for waiting so I could give her a pup.”

I smiled and squeezed him back as we walked to our van.

We were driving to the post office to ship out 60 some pups across the country when I remembered a conversation Blake and I had a couple weeks ago.

We were in the kitchen and out of no where he stated so matter of factly, “you know mom, it’s a good thing Brady got cancer.”

I knew he was going somewhere very intentional so I let him continue, “without cancer we wouldn’t have started Way To Battle. And think of all the people we have been able to help. That wouldn’t have happened without Brady getting sick.”

It was one of those moments when you soak in the incredible wisdom that your kid has just displayed. I smiled at him and nodded my head in agreement, “you are totally right Blake. Totally right. God will always use our troubles for good if we allow him. Always.”

So here we are.

Way To Battle was formed, not on the smooth and straight road, but after the turn.

After the turn off the normal road.

After the road looked undrivable.

That, that is where the Lord shined his light for us.

So I say all this to encourage you not to be afraid of turning. To not be afraid of the road less traveled. The one that looks scary. That looks treacherous. And if you are like us, the one even google maps doesn’t recognize as existing.

Beautiful things are born in the midst of the deepest hardships.

So here is to turning. To believing. To pursuing.

Shields up.

Swords out.

Way to battle,

Kristin

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

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