A chance to battle.

Yesterday was full of miracles.

800 miles away the National Snaffle Bit Association horse show community showed up in a huge way to rally behind Brady and those in tough battles. They filled up every single blood donation spot available at the world show out in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Some of our dearest and most amazing friends made time to give during one of the busiest shows of the year.

Then, right here in our home town, every spot was filled by people in our town to donate blood at a drive hosted by X Church.

Yesterday, at the same time that both drives were happening, Brady’s platelet level had fallen to a dramatically low 5,000. He and Chris spent over 10 hours at NCH and he received multiple bags of platelets and blood.

Each bag Brady receives is a blessing to us. It represents someone’s selfless act to put someone else above themselves.

It is someone walking this life meeting the needs of others, whom they will likely never meet, and saying “yes” to call for help.

It is putting their wants and desires aside to make others, like Brady, a priority.

And that friends is what Jesus has asked each of us to do.

We read Paul’s words in Romans 12. The entire chapter is one of my favorites in the entire Bible.

It is chalked full of goodness from start to finish.

But there in the middle is something that was written on our board in our kitchen for months.

Something we ask our kids to do every single day.

Romans 12:10 reads, “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.”

I can’t think of a better way to show someone that I love them then to give them the gift of hope and life.

Sure, You and I can’t change their circumstances.

You and I can’t cure Brady’s cancer.

You and I can’t fix the battle so many are fighting.

But we can do is something pretty amazing.

Friends, when we donate blood and platelets we are giving those battling like Brady a chance to keep fighting.

Let that sink in.

Our selfless act gives them a chance.

A chance.

A chance to beat their cancer.

A chance to win their battle.

And that, to me, is the greatest gift we can offer.

Many people are like Brady and can never donate blood or platelets, no matter how much they want to, because they have fought cancer themselves or having a medical diagnosis that causes them to be ineligible.

So those of us healthy and strong, well friends, it is up to us.

Today I got a postcard in the mail asking me to donate again because I’m finally eligible. The postcard listed a staggering fact.

Only 3 in 100 Americans will give blood this year.

That makes kids just like Brady in the situation he is in.

Desperate for blood products almost every other day.

We have been asked so many times for information on how to donate directly to our sweet boy. And we are honestly so honored and so humbled by the overwhelming love and support.

But, this is the hard part… we are respectfully declining right now.

Not because we don’t want to see our son get what he needs to fight his battle, but because we feel like the Lord has pressed on to our hearts to fulfill Paul’s words in Romans.

We are putting others above ourselves.

We are trusting that by spreading the message of how important the need is for all Americans, not just Brady, that the Lord will provide for him in abundance.

We are practicing faith.

We are praying for each and every persons act of selflessness be multiplied.

We are praying that bringing awareness to the needs of the Red Cross will help bring abundance to the banks and fill every need called upon, including Brady’s.

We are praying to raise up a new generation of dedicated givers that can now see a face of what a fighter looks like in the battle.

We are praying for a movement of hope and love to start with each of these selfless acts of donating.

The last miracle for yesterday was this.

15 months ago we received the news that Brady had an extremely rare mutation of Leukemia that they had only found 64 other times in the world.

15 months ago We were told Brady had about a 50% to survive a year.

15 months ago we prayed for a miracle.

Yesterday’s miracle is still a miracle today.

Yesterday was a shift in our mindset.

It was realizing Brady is already just 1 of 32 to be alive longer than a year.

It is being determined to continue to see what we have been given rather than what might be taken.

It is fighting to better the world around us however we can for as long as we have.

So if you can, would you join us in praying for more miracles ahead? For all those who are able to answer the call for help? For those in need to be taken care of in abundance? Would you join us in praying for a movement of selflessness and love to flood over our nation?

Let’s show the world what it looks like to be a people who puts the needs of others above ourselves.

Shields up.

Swords out.

Living a miracle,

Kristin

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