So Thankful

Last night, I had to run to Target to pick up Sam's prescription for his latest ear infection.  As I pulled into the parking garage, I saw a familiar purple bus that I've seen around town several times over the past few years.  That bus was from the Children's Inn at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  It brings families of children staying at NIH for medical treatment to different places around town, like Target and the grocery store, to run errands.  


I had to wait about thirty minutes for the prescription, so I walked through Target. As I was walking up and down the aisles, I saw three families who I assume rode on that bus to Target.  Three boys, one was probably 12 years old, the next was probably 10 years old, and the third was probably 6 years old, and their moms were picking up essentials...granola bars, a Nerf dart gun, a new DVD.  I'm assuming all three boys were cancer patients.  Each had bald heads and puffy faces from treatment.  


I got emotional as I began to think about those boys and their families.  They are probably hundreds of miles from home, receiving treatment at one of the top cancer centers in the world.  They are probably spending most of the hours of their days in small hospital rooms entertaining themselves with those Nerf guns and new DVDs.  And here I was, all worked up about my little guy's ear infection.  


As I walked out of Target last night, rushing home to get Sam's first dose of antibiotic in him before he went to bed, I said a quick prayer.  I thanked God for watching over our baby boy and keeping him healthy and safe. I also asked Him to watch over those boys and their families.


I've seen that purple bus many times before.  And it wasn't until last night, the first time I had seen since Sam has been born, that I truly stopped to think about and pray for the people it carried from place to place.  I am so thankful for Sam's good health thus far and continue to pray every night asking God to watch over him.