Prayer BUMP TO THE TOP!
Gail, Katie, Natahn, Rachel, Chad, Becki, Toni, Jeff, Jolene, Jared, and Braedon, Rley, Kasen, Kyra, Kenna, and Gracei (and Mike and Kelly), Lee and Brenda and Family, PAul and Adlois and Family...and all who have prayed for, ecnouraged us, and lent us your faith,
Several years ago when I had what I though was major surgery, I wrote individual lettetrs to each of my children.
As it turned out, that colonoscopy surgery was not nearly as dangeorus or serious as it could have been, and certainly not as serious as what I face now.
Most of you (older folks anyhow) know the details of this condition I face now from my journal. It is out there on Facebook, on my own site, and on FreeRepublic for others to lead later (JUst google "My Sacral Chordoma"). But, suffice it to say that over the next few weeks, starting tomorrow, I am facing very serious life threatening surgery to remove a malignant cnacer tumor in my sacrum. Even if completely successful, for which we hope and pray, it will be life-altering.
Many prayers, a lot of faith, and wonderful encouragement and generous help has helped us reach this point. I am so grateful, beyond my ability to express it for that help, ecourgaement, and partiocularly the prayers and faith. They have sustained us and gotten us here now to where I can enter the areana of this trial and have the real fight for my life begin.
My 1st surgery will be tomorrow around 7 or 8 AM and will last 8-10 hours. Then on Friday, April 30th, they will conduct the 2nd part, where they actually remove the chordoma. If necessary, if that takes too long, they now tell me they may split that into two parts...but they hope to be done sometime late Fraday afternoon or early evening. Then comes the long revobry, rehabilitation, and then followed by special proton radiation treatments.
I want each of you to kow in so doing, how much I love you.
Gail and I have been married 32 years yesterday. I count my relationship with her, next to my relationship with my Savior and Father in Heaven as the most beautiful blessing and gift, the greatest honor and privilege of my life. I cannot put into works how much I love her, how much she has taught me, and how grateful I am for her love. Simple stated, she is the love of my life and the one, as our Father cammanded, to whom I cleavve, and none else.
Those same type of feeling extend in love to all of you thoughout my family. First through my parents and siblings who all helped form my life and thinking, but then very importantly to my children ALL of whom have taught me far more about life than I believe I have taught them. My love for each of you, despite whatever differences we may have ever had, is eternal, and I look forward to the day we are all gathered, in God's time, in the eternities together where we can share one another's company and joy. My darling princess, my prcious agel, my bay pony, my 1st born son, and my go getter, Jared...and now all six grandkids
Please please, I plead with each of you, to do whatever it takes to make that same love possible in this life for each of you. That blessing, made possible by the love and atonement of our Savior Jesus Chrst, is the great gift to mankind and the pearle of great price we should all strive for.
There is no ill, there is no mistake, there is no wall, there is no boundary, there is no weakness we cannot overcome with His help in order to make that eternity of joy possible. He has broken them all..all bands of hate, musunderstanding, even of death on our behalf and I pray each of you, from oldest to youngst, will simply study His life, His teachings for how to live life, and then try it. Make His life your own. Come to Him, seek His forgiveness and the efficacy of His gift, and then do all you can to live like He would live...helping others wherever you can
He said,
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30I testify to each of you, I promise you each, that this is true. No matter how dire the crcumstance, no matter what we face, we can overcome it through Christ. Individually as we work ourselves, together as couples and families if we all work together.
I have seen it...I have experienced it myself. At this hour I have no reason but to speak the truth to you out of my love for you each and the omportance of these truths...and I so speak, I so testify, and I so witness now.
Now, we hope that the surgery goes fine. I have asked all of the Dr.s if they believe in God. I am asking them to look for miracles in their work and let God in Heaven guide their hands. If they do, His will shall be done. And whatever that will is will be what is right. That is another critical part of life...understanding whose will we should seek, and then making His will our own...and doing it of our own free will so it is in fact our will as well. I know that this principle in life leads to happiness and joy. It allows us to weather any strom, and come through into the sunshine and clam on the far side.
It is with these thoughts in mind that I close. Looking forward to that calm weather on the far side. Whether the far side of this immediate travail and years of living with each of you on this earth with Gail, visiting grank-kids, serving missions, etc...or, awaiting for you over yonder, on the far side of life, where my Dear Father and other loved ones wait even now.
I pray it will be the former...but know that if it is the latter that the time will pass quickly in the Lord's service.
All you grandkids...I long to sing to you once again in the evening as I put you to sleep. Remember the words.
"Jesus said love every one, treat them kindly too. If your heart if filled with love, others will love you."Continue to pray for us, particularl for Gail (for Nanna). She has been my great strength and friend in this, after our Savior. In fact, she has exemplified the Savior to me though all of this and I am so humbled bu it.
"Cause Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world."
"Jesus loves me this I know, for the scriptures tell me so. Little ones to Him belong, they are weark, but He is strong. "Yes Jesus loves me, Yes Jesus loves me, Yes, Jesus loves me.... "My papa tells me so...and Nanna tells me so, they both they love me so."
For all those praying for us, once again I say, I rpay, in turm, that the good Lord returns the blessing on your head 100 fold. He shall. I know that He is alwasy true to us...always. All of His plans and activities in our life build us up, build up His kingdom of love and joy, and bring men and women to Him for ever if they will but respond to His call.
These same truths are what gives us everything that is good in life...including our liberty. Principles that move a person away from these truths, of sanctity for life, of love of family, of the essential nature of fundamental moral principle and Christian faith in our society...eskew. They will destroy liberty and hurt the family, life, and many of the greatest gifts and joys our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ desire for us.
I love you all, and long to be in your company again. The good Lord willing, we shall, and soon...and if not, then as surely as the sun risies in the east, we will be together again in thr hearafter.,
Your husband, father, brother, friend, granfather, and fellow-laboror and servant in Christ and in liberty,
Jeff Head
26 Arpil 2010