"I was drawn to tears when he spoke of his young daughter and what she has to battle through each day. It made me want to do more to fight this disease."
Boomer Esiason, quarterback of the Cincinnati Bengals in the mid to late 1980's, spoke these words while sitting at an awards banquet in his honor for being named the MVP of a season. A journalist was speaking of his own daughter and recruiting athletes to help fund a fight to cure cystic fibrosis.
Boomer stepped up to the plate by using his celebrity status, he began to help by doing commercials and started an awareness program for the disease.
Three years later, Boomer and his wife had their first child, and ironically their own son was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. Some people will say that this was just a coincidence, others may say it was fate or karma, I say God a hand in preparing him for this.
Your Heavenly Father knows well of what you need. (Mathew 6:25)
In other words, God knows well ahead of us what we need and prepares us for those battles that may be headed our way.
In the last 20 years, Boomer Esiason has created a foundation for cystic fibrosis, financed a treatment center for the children of this disease, and has literally raised $100 million dollars for cystic fibrosis.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Phil. 4:13)
The lifespan for a child with this disease is not very long. The journalist, who first brought cystic fibrosis to the attention of Boomer Esiason, watched his daughter lose her battle at the age of six.
Boomer Esiason's son is 25 years old, but still has his battles each day. The $100 million dollars that has been donated so far for this disease, has helped doctors prolong the life of children with cystic fibrosis.
Whatever trials or struggles you may be going through right now, may be just prep work that God uses for His glory. God will see you through the storm. And in being faithful to Him and His Word, He will prepare you ahead of time for all things. But never forget,
God is good, all the time.
"In order to realize the weight of the anchor, we need to feel the stress of the storm." -Corrie Ten Boom
If you don't know Corrie's story, checkout the book The Hiding Place. She endured many hardships while being imprisoned for helping many Jews escape the Nazi Holocaust. But God was beside her throughout her incredible journey.
If you live in an area with no access to a Bible, click on www.biblegateway for more of God's encouraging Word.
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