Meet my brother. Or at least what is left of him. The beautiful auburn locks that curled around his eyes are no more, all that remains in their stead is unrecognizable stubble. I think that I like this new "do" for my brother, it is by far the shortest cut he has ever received. But this story runs much deeper than just the disappearing coif of my favorite brother, the true story starts with a boy named Sam and his battle. On Tuesday over 400 people piled into the gym at Cedars and 40 brave people stepped forward to lose their locks in support of one named Sam. Sam is a grade 5 student diagnosed with Lukemia and fighting his way through the first rounds of a journey that will take more than 1000 days.
The band played and the razors buzzed as girls and boys offered support to the struggling family. It was an amazing sight, those who could donated their hair to locks of love for other victims of cancer. I couldn't believe my eyes. As I was snapping pictures I honestly had to hold back the tears that were trying to break from my face. The event started with a word of prayer, a reading of a verse and a thank you bestowed by the Sam's father.
As the hair came off and cheers erupted from the crowd, there was something different in the over all tone and hustle and bustle of things. There was an overwhelming feeling of hope. Here was this boy facing cancer, probably the biggest fight in his life and yet there was hope. This hope wasn't brought by fake smiles and reassurances that everything would be fine, it was the honest and true hope of Jesus Christ. It was that same hope that is promised to us each and every day by One who has promised us life eternal and unconditional love. As I looked around I couldn't help but feel a tinge of pain for those in my life who have no hope at all, those who don't have any hope in the promise of tomorrow and wiping away of our sins.
It was a scene that truly could have only happened within a crowd of believers and that could only be understood by those who have seen the workings of grace and tasted the sweetness of a Hope that is forever ours. As I watched, while the last two girls, Sam's older sisters, shave their heads I was astonished at the amount of selfless love they truly had for their brother.
I understand the significance of the shaving, but for me it went a little further this time. Just as my brother and the other volunteers wait for and hope that their hair to grows back, so we need to wait and hope that life will rise again, where ever that maybe. After all doesn't the phoenix arise from the ashes, even after burning up and withering away? It does, and with an eye on the promises that lay ahead of us we still have hope...
My Brother losing his hair...
The crowd that gathered
Sam's sisters in the final stages of taking it off...Please support this family, you can view their blog at http://samsconqueringofall-goertzens.blogspot.com/
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