2019 has been a year! A year filled with twists, turns and unexpected blessings through trials. Over the next few days, we will open gifts from family and friends. But before we do that, I wanted to take a second and log a few thoughts, recognizing the gifts that God has given our family over 2019.
The Gift of Adoption
We entered 2019 as foster parents to a beautiful 6 month old little boy. In November 2019, God gave us the gift of adopting this beautiful boy into our family. He will forever be a Veal. To God be the glory!
The Gift of Cancer
The thought that childhood cancer could be a gift sounds crazy, but God has a history of turning dark nights into bright mornings. In July, Greyson was diagnosed with Leukemia. It was a day that we never thought could happen to us. It was a phone call that no one was expecting. It was a dark, dark day. But it was through cancer that God has taught us to trust Him in the storm. It was the gift of cancer that gave us the gift of adoption. It was the recognition that death is very real and very near that has helped us to live. It was the gift of cancer that opened our eyes to the Global Family of God and helped us to see His Saints around the world pray for a child they didn’t know. God has used what was meant to harm for good.
The Gift of Joy
Through pain and heartache, we have found the gift of joy anew. I never knew joy could be so deep in the midst of confusion and heartache. But our God has made that possible.
The Gift of Peace
You never really know peace until a storm hits your life. Peace on care free days is easy. But peace in the midst of a storm is an indescribable gift from God. We have had peace. God is good.
The Gift of the Cancer Family
I had never heard of the “Cancer Family” before July 2019, but it has become one of our greatest gifts of the year. There is an unspoken bond between families who are walking the road of cancer together. There is a closeness that can’t be described. We have found ourselves sobbing over good news for children we’ve only seen a few times. We have found ourselves praying for kids and families we’ve never met. We’ve been encouraged by people hundreds of miles away, who have walked the road we find ourselves walking. The cancer family is not something I would ever ask to be a part of, but I am grateful to God for our cancer family.
The Gift of Family
Our family has been amazing to us over the last few months. Our parents, siblings and extended families have blessed us in so many ways, from their presence to their prayers. They have been a constant source of encouragement to us. Our church family has taken a new place in our hearts. I have always considered our church family to be family, but it has moved into something deeper this year. Our church family has literally suffered with us. They have cried with us, they have rejoiced with us. They have sat in the chemo clinic and in the hospital with us. They are not just people we go to church with, they are family. We have also seen many close friends move into our family. They have taken care of Mason when we couldn’t, shared in our hurt and rejoiced in our joy. They are every bit family. And there’s one more…Greyson’s biological mother, Ashley. She has moved into our family over the last year and we have watched as God has moved mightily in our life. Almost every person we call family, from family, friends and church family are a part of God’s family. They have been adopted into God’s family. They are our brothers and sisters. We are family.
The Gift of Freedom
By freedom I mean our freedoms given to us by God and by man. We have freedom from sin and hell through the blood of Christ. We have freedom on earth through the blood of our military men and women. I am grateful for freedom.
The Gift of Walking with God
Walking with God sometimes feels like walking through fog. We have no idea what is down the road, all we know is what is exactly in front of us. This year has been a year of walking in the fog with God. We never thought 2019 would bring the gifts that it brought in the way that it brought them. We walked through the fog, but you walked with us. We are forever grateful for the fog. We are forever grateful for you, our family who walked with us. And we are forever grateful for the freedom of following God.
To God Be The Glory! Great gifts he has given!