Cephas Hour
Episode 136
Release Date: December 24, 2024

One thought on “Cephas Hour
Episode 136
Release Date: December 24, 2024”

1. I downloaded this episode and have listened to it a few times since the 24th, but waited to post until today. I wanted to make sure I had time to process your opening comments with my lived experience over the past 10+ years. Without going into too much detail, I will post the Cliff Notes version beginning in 2017, just keep in mind that at many of these junctures, starting in 2021, it was your podcast and certain musical selections that helped to usher the Holy Spirit into my presence and bring me peace during chaos (thanks to Red State for that introduction). Shortly after Hurricane Harvey hit Texas our 2nd oldest son was involved in a motorcycle accident, head on collision with a 1 ton pickup, and rushed to the hospital where he was summarily rushed to the closest trauma center in San Antonio via life-flight. Only by the grace of Yahweh was his life spared as he walked out of ICU 8 days later with only some bruising to show. Fastforward to August 2021 and our youngest son, 6 years old at the time, was diagnosed with ALL (acute lymphoblastic leukemia). Being a trisomy 21 child (Downs Syndrome), this meant extended hospital stays to monitor his vitals during treatment; meaning month long stays every time he went in for treatment. My wife would stay with our son while I continued working, because, as you know, life goes on with or without you and bills don’t stop because you’ve encountered some obstacles along the way. This was, to that point in life, the loneliest time of my life as I looked forward to visiting them every Saturday. His last hospital stay was in June of 2022, roughly 10 months later. He continued the treatment protocol through December 15 2023 when he finally rang the bell, signaling the end of all treatment. He still goes to have labs every couple of months and will continue that for the next 3 years. But through it all, our prayers were that he would be kept by the hand of God in the midst of it all. Seeing and hearing the horror stories from other children going through the same treatment protocols tested our faith, but through it all we persevered and our son NEVER experienced those same horrors. Yahweh truly did keep him through it all. And lest I forget to mention, I was let go from my management position 5 months after the cancer diagnosis and took a job paying a quarter of what I was making in order to just be able keep our bills caught up. Thanksgiving of November 2022 saw the birth of our 2nd granddaughter. Upon returning home and after attending Sunday service, we lost our house to a fire. We literally lost everything except the clothes on our backs. And through this all, because we have built a community network of friends and family that we have poured into over the years, they were there to help us through this test. Eight or nine months later (June 2023), after getting our property cleaned up, getting the old house torn down, and getting back onto our property (living in an RV), we had a 2nd fire come through and take everything else that the 1st fire did not get. At this point, all we can do is laugh as people are pointing at us and calling us Job. Who, in their right mind, wants that kind of designation? In July 2023, while on the way to prepare for a fish fry fellowship we were cooking at I was arrested out front of our soon to be place of business. This arrest stemmed from a complaint that was filed by my former employer claiming theft of property. Suffice it to say, my overnight lockup revealed character that needed to be purged from my life, character I didn’t realize still had a hold in my life. Something about the old man that seems to rise up from time to time. Needless to say, that was probably the darkest night of my life as I struggled with the reality of what was going on and choosing to embrace forgiveness in a real and meaningful way, not just paying lip service. After 15 months (October 2024) of dealing with lawyers, mounds of “evidence,” and delay after delay trying to force the DA into a jury trial, not to mention the amount of money it cost us personally, ALL charges were dismissed due to the fact that there was NO evidence of any wrongdoing. All that is left at this point is the work we need to do to see that this entire “record” is expunged. And while the voices around us, and in particular around me, say that I should sue for defamation or wrongful arrest, or any other of a host of reasons, I have stated unequivocally that I have no desire to allow this chapter in my life to overshadow the future Yahweh has laid out nor do I wish to allow my former employer to hold that kind of power over me.

   All of this to say that each and every trial we have faced has only served to further strengthen our faith and trust in God as our deliverer and our redeemer. It has brought a newfound understanding of just what it means to know that “the rain falls on the righteous and the unrighteousness.” And it has caused us to further entrench ourselves in the wisdom that His Word. Would we choose to endure the trials that we have faced? No sane person would say yes. But what I can say is that the testing of our faith has produced the Godly character that brings us closer to being the true image bearers we were created to be.

   I trust that God is not finished with you yet and that “this too shall pass.” Just not always in timing of our own choosing.

   May the Lord bless you and keep you. May He make His face to shine upon you. May He lift His countenance to you and give you peace!

   Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.