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The Young and Influential

“Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.”

1 Timothy 4:12 NLT

If you read my most recent post last week, you’ll remember that my emotions were running high in anticipation of my daughter’s upcoming college graduation on Sunday. This would be true for any parent, but as I said last week, due to Hillary’s battle against CDH, each milestone achieved is magnified a hundred times over. Well, she did it! And by the number of cords draped around her neck in addition to the medallion, she did it quite well. I was about to pop on Sunday! There were many who didn’t think she’d last at Thiel because she was quite apprehensive about the whole college experience in general. After all, she had a pretty good thing going at home! Following a rocky beginning, she immersed herself into both academic and student life at Thiel. She not only survived her 4 years there, she thrived. And I might add, she didn’t feel well for three of those four years. We will be forever grateful that Hillary found the right fit for her when she chose Thiel College.

I was so amped up after the big day that, even though exhausted, I had great difficulty sleeping Sunday night. Eventually I gave up trying and got up and started pouring through the pictures I had taken. It was when I cropped the one above that I was completely overcome with emotion. This picture represents the two young people who have had the most profound impact on my life. I have my arm wrapped around my precious miracle named Hillary Jayne and if you look closely you’ll see I have “Alec” pinned to my heart where he remains whether I am wearing the pin or not. For those who never had the pleasure of knowing Alec, he was my beloved nephew who was much like a second son to me. We shared a deep passion for sports among other things. He was diagnosed with osteosarcoma at Age 14 and fought back with everything he had for two years before God called him home on July 28, 2007. He demonstrated an extraordinary amount of courage and faith for one so young and touched so many with his faithful witness throughout his battle.

The Hillegass family has experienced two very different outcomes with these two precious children. I don’t understand why and I don’t believe that I will on this side of heaven. In the middle of my high on Sunday, my heart ached deeply for Alec’s parents because I was acutely aware of the milestones they would never have the opportunity to witness with him. Yet they were there cheering on Hillary.

When we don’t understand, we have to cling to His promises. There are so many that we can lean into during times of uncertainty. Perhaps my favorite is Romans 8:28—

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”

So, though we may not understand, we can trust that He will bring good from even the worst of circumstances. There were lives far beyond family members that were impacted by Alec and his faithful witness as he bravely fought back against cancer. He certainly made the most of his dash. I believe Jesus used Alec and his story to change lives for eternity. There is no age limit to which God can use us for His purposes!

In closing, I’d like to return to Hillary for a moment. Obviously, God isn’t done with her yet. If you are reading this, He’s not done with you yet either. There’s still work to be done, lives to be changed, etc. Ask Him what plans He’s got for you today and listen for what that assignment might be. I thought I was going to continue preparations for a new semester today, but God handed me some writing material this morning and here I sit. Be flexible for you never know when those divine interruptions may occur!

I was asked to write a letter to Hillary to be placed in her sorority scrapbook to put a cap on her senior year at Thiel. Well, that was quite a daunting task. Much like my failed first blog attempt last week, I didn’t know where to start or where to end. Eventually, the way I ended it applies to each and every one of us. We each have a unique story based on our life experiences. I have no idea why she’s been through everything that she has, but I do know this—-every single part of her story came with a purpose. I told her that her story has not been wasted. Neither was Alec’s. God uses the circumstances of our lives to mold us and shape us and make us look more like Jesus. Of course, it goes more smoothly if we cooperate! What has God been up to in your life? What is YOUR story? You know, stories were meant to be told. Who needs to hear yours?

 

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The Journey

On Sunday we will celebrate another big milestone in our daughter’s journey through life. These occasions always cause me to be reflective and highly emotional. As part of my therapy, I had determined to share part of that journey with you through my writing. I found that was easier said than done yesterday. I didn’t know where to start and where to stop. After many hours and countless words, I scrapped the whole thing and went to bed late last night. The truth is, I cannot condense what we’ve been through with Hillary in her 21+ years to a blog post. It deserves a book! Maybe someday….

For those unfamiliar with her story, Hillary Jayne is our miracle baby. You’ll have to wait for the book to fill in the gaps, but I’ll paint the big picture now. She was diagnosed with a congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) in the womb. The hole in the left side of her diaphragm allowed her abdominal organs to come up into her chest cavity and take up the space where her left lung was to be developing. She was given a 50% chance of surviving IF she was born in the right place at the right time. By the grace of God, she was. She came out fighting and has been fighting ever since! Hillary had her hernia repair surgery when she was 6 days old and spent the first 88 days of her life in intensive care at Allegheny General Hospital. I remember the neonatologist describing Hillary’s hospital stay as a series of three steps forward and two steps backwards. That’s a net gain of one, right? We’ll take it! Even with the medical advances today, 50% of babies born with CDH do not survive.

CDH isn’t just a hernia. The 50% that do survive live with the threat of complications of it for the rest of their lives, including the very real possibility of reherniation. So, as they say at CHERUBS, the CDH Support Group, “Just because the hole is fixed, doesn’t mean the battle is over.” For instance, Hillary recently spent a whole year on three high-powered antibiotics to rid her good lung of a serious mycobacterial infection that was indirectly related to her CDH. It hasn’t been smooth sailing for Hillary. Far from it! I guess that’s what makes each milestone that much sweeter!

I believe God has lessons for us in each of our life experiences. Nothing comes to us without a purpose. Without question, Hillary’s story is the experience that has had the greatest impact on my life. I look at life differently now because I realize just how precious it is. Each day is a gift from God, not to be taken for granted. In the words of Jesus:

I have come so they can have life. I want them to have it in the fullest possible way.”  

John 10:10b NIRV

Jesus went to the greatest of lengths to give us life. It would behoove us to make the most of it. Let’s not squander today, for tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. Live life….enjoy it…celebrate it…and give God thanks for it!

On Sunday we will celebrate the college graduation of our precious daughter. This milestone, like every other one before it, will be magnified times one hundred because of the journey that brought her here. I couldn’t be more proud. She has overcome so much adversity in her 21+ years and has excelled in spite of it all. Or perhaps BECAUSE of it all. When they call Hillary Jayne Leipold on Sunday and she crosses the stage with numerous cords and medallions draped around her neck to collect her diploma, her devoted fan base will be there leading the cheering. That is, all except her mother who will be too choked up to muster a WooHoo!

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No Trade

In modern day professional sports, it is rare that a player remains with the same team his entire career. Players often get traded or released by their team based on their performance, or lack thereof. One trade in particular really broke my heart this past winter. My favorite team, the Pittsburgh Pirates, traded away the face of the franchise, Andrew McCutchen, in a cost cutting move in late January. Coincidentally, it was the day after the Pittsburgh Steelers were eliminated from the NFL playoffs. Ouch—-a painful couple of days for Pittsburgh sports fans. It’s not like January isn’t already hard enough in Western PA!

I had grown quite fond of Cutch since he was called up in 2009. Not only did he put the team on his back and make baseball relevant again in Pittsburgh, but he also gave back to the community. His smile and enthusiasm for the game endeared him to the city of Pittsburgh. Trades can be hard…on everyone. I don’t think Cutch wanted to go any more than Pirate fans wanted to see him go. Management decided the time had come to part with Cutch. Why? I’m sure there were several factors—-a soon-to-be-expiring contract, age, recent decline in performance, cost of new contract, etc. Before ownership consulted with me, they just went ahead and traded Cutch. The nerve!! There is no professional athlete immune from the possibility of being traded away at a moment’s notice. Nothing like having the rug pulled out from under you!

While processing this over the past few months, I’ve found great comfort in knowing that I am on a team that will never ever trade me. And if you aren’t already on that same team, you certainly can be. The beauty of this team is that the choice to be on it is yours. You don’t have to stand around waiting to see if you are good enough to be chosen. Your name has already been called.

“He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,”

2 Timothy 1:9 NIV

The truth is, we can’t earn our way onto God’s Kingdom team with our performance. We have been saved purely by grace through Jesus. What an indescribable gift!

The Ultimate Gift, Jesus, made this gift of salvation possible. Our choice is simply to receive it and join the team. The Coach will take it from there! No worries—you’ll be on the team for eternity. And there’s not even a bench, so there’s no chance you’ll have to sit on the sidelines and watch!

 

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A Fresh Start

One of my favorite days of the year is Opening Day for Major League Baseball. The reason—-it’s a fresh start for my favorite team, the Pittsburgh Pirates. While suffering through 20 years of consecutive losing seasons from 1993-2012, there has been great need for the fresh start that comes with the beginning of a new season. Expectations are low for 2018 after management traded away the face of the franchise and the ace of the pitching staff within a few short days back in January. As a result, fresh start takes on a whole new meaning this season. And I’m not all that happy about it! However, when the Bucs won 8 of their first 10 games to start this season, I have to admit it was hard to contain my excitement. In spite of the offseason upheaval, I remain a loyal fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates. I stuck by them through 20 losing seasons, so I guess there’s no need to jump ship now.

Coming off a powerful Holy Week culminating in a magnificent celebration of Easter, I am reminded of a fresh start that easily trumps Opening Day of MLB. Sin separates ALL of us from God. Jesus went to the cross to pay the cost for our sins—-past, present and future. He gave His very own life to reconcile us with our Heavenly Father. That kind of love is beyond my comprehension. But death did not have the last word. We celebrate Jesus’ resurrection on Easter. God raised Jesus from the dead and He is now seated at the right hand of the Father in Heaven.

Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.

Ephesians 2:18 NLT

Jesus bridged the gap between us and God. He makes the ultimate fresh start possible. Are you in need of a fresh start? Jesus is offering you one. His blood has wiped your slate clean.

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT

One of my favorite places to go, besides PNC Park, is The Meadows. They happen to sell my favorite frozen custard. Due to a fire, our local Meadows was closed for over a year. It was a LONG year! They recently reopened and now use Meadows 2.0 in some of their advertisements. Meadows 2.0 is to be a new and improved version of the original one that was damaged by fire. When you accept Christ as Lord and Savior of your life, you become enter your first name here 2.0—a new and improved version of your former self. Being a Christ-follower is the best decision I’ve ever made and you won’t regret it either!

Western PA is finally getting teased with some warmer, more spring-like, weather starting today. That makes Polly 2.0 crave some Meadows 2.0, while cheering on the Bucs of course!