Speaking of being grateful, I also remain humbled by the number of people who have prayed for us at one time or another. It continues to amaze me as I hear or read various stories of how family, friends and even perfect strangers have gone to God on our behalf through this journey. Some of you have prayed for us the past 3 months and others even the past 3 years and longer. As this journey has challenged me and grown me in my daily walk and relationship with God, it has also made me even more aware of what it means to have good health and the abilities to do things in life that many of us sometimes take for granted. Relationships also in certain respects have taken on a whole new meaning and value. Each of us have certain friends and relationships that God has blessed us with and I wanted to share one of mine with you for the purpose of illustrating how God can use "special people" in our lives as we go through difficult times.
One of the "special people" in my life is named DJ. Over the years, as I get to spend some vacation time in New Hampshire during the summer, I have had the opportunity to have DJ as a friend. DJ is 6` 5", recently turned 17 years old and is a huge young man with an even bigger heart. Each summer, I will banter with DJ about who has the faster boat....me or him and that one day him and his dad will have to race me and Debbie`s father in our boat just to see whose boat is really faster [For the record, DJ would win]. Several years ago, I even challenged DJ to an arm wrestling match on the beach and after he beat me, I have not stopped telling him I want a rematch. Each summer as I saw him, he humors me as I carry-on with him. In past summers when I was able to do physical work, if DJ saw me taking a break he would get on me in his own way and tell me it was time to get back to work. As we have developed a friendship through time, as my health declined this past summer, I would tell DJ that he better get stronger because the next time I saw him I was going to be ready for that arm wrestling rematch.
As the summer ended and I told DJ good-bye as Debbie, Kylie and I left New Hampshire to drive home, the test results in Mid-September revealed that lung transplant was the only way for me to survive. Then a short time after those test results, some friends gave us the now infamous "Prayer Beeper" in which so many of you have participated in by praying and then "beeping" us. It has been such an encouragement to all of our family. This is where DJ ties into this update. Prior to lung transplant, DJ`s mom had read about the "prayer beeper" and would pray for us during the course of her day and then pick up the phone to "beep" us. One day prior to me being called by the Mayo Clinic for lungs, as DJ saw his mom beeping us he asked her what she was doing. She began to explain about my need for new lungs to her son DJ and how she had just prayed for me for those new lungs to come soon and DJ`s immediate response as he jumped up and grabbed his chest was "Give Rick my lungs". His mom then asked him how he would be able to breathe if he gave up his lungs for me as he sat there in that moment trying to process this whole thing about me needing new lungs. His mom said it seemed to frustrate DJ that he couldn`t do anything to help me and it affected his daily moods.
Then the following week is when we did receive the call from the Mayo Clinic for lung transplant and on the same day DJ`s mom read the update that I had had surgery, earlier that same morning as DJ and his mom stood outside their house in 45 degree cold weather in New England, waiting on DJ`s school bus to pick him up, something special happened for DJ that morning. DJ and his family live in a country setting where everyone knows everybody and strangers don`t usually frequent the area. However on that morning, as they waited on his school bus, a man exercising came running down their country road and as he approached DJ and his mom, DJ and his mom looked at each other with DJ`s mom saying to DJ that "that man looks just like Rick". She said he had the same gray hair, the same smile with the same white teeth, dressed in the same type of exercise shorts, shirt and visor that I would wear as they would see me exercise in New Hampshire in the past summers. As this man ran by them, he smiled and waved at DJ and his mom. DJ smiled back at the man as he went by and waved and his mom said at that point it appeared as though DJ felt that I was going to be OK. DJ then extended his his thumb up in the air as though he wanted to "Thumb Wrestle" that guy who just ran by. DJ and his mom have not seen that man again since that early October morning nor had they ever seen him before. DJ`s mom said maybe God sent an angel that morning just for DJ to see so that he would know his friend Rick was going to be OK. His mom said after that morning DJ`s moods seemed to settle down and he realized his way of helping me was to just pray for his friend Rick and that he didn`t need to give up his lungs, as he had been worried about me.
Again, there are so many neat stories that I have been told and many I have yet to be told just how God has used so many of you in my life to encourage me in the journey. DJ is one of those "Special People" that God has placed in my path to teach me things that only DJ could teach me. DJ is a "Special Needs" young man who has many challenges in life that many of us can`t relate to or quite understand, yet I have been tremendously blessed and encouraged by getting to know DJ and his family over the past years. I do look forward to my "Arm Wrestling" re-match with DJ this coming summer and our bantering about who has the faster boat and hearing him tell me it`s time to go back to work......it`s amazing how God chooses to teach us about life and how precious it really is. Thank you to DJ`s parents for allowing me to share about my friendship with their son.
Please continue to remember the Mathews Family in your prayers [my donor`s family] as I have not yet received a response back from them. Life has obviously taken on a whole new meaning and as I return to work, community, church, etc., I just want to be sure to always honor God and my donor for the new lease on life that I have been given. Thank you again for your prayers, cards, emails, concern and love that we continue to be blessed by.
In closing, as I shared briefly in my last update, I am going to be participating in the Sheridan House Family Ministries 5K Run/Walk on February 6th. I will be in the walking group but know that I take it serious as the gift of "new lungs" is what allows me to live today and allows me to exercise, which is so vital in helping me maintain my health. The link http://www.active.com/donate/familyvalues5K/fv5kRHornsb1 will allow to go directly to the website to either sign up as a participant yourself and enlist sponsors or you can participate by supporting me. For those of you who have already signed up and are seeking sponsors, please do not feel obligated to sponsor me and for those who aren`t able to sponsor at this time, no problem. This is just a fun way for me to give me some goals for my re-hab and to help Sheridan House as they minister to families in need. Both Debbie and I have been active in supporting Sheridan House for close to 25 years.
Thank you again for your continued prayers. They are working. Operation Breath of Life is a Miracle. God has been so good. God Bless You.
Love in Christ,
Rick and Debbie
Our friend DJ getting some upper body workouts in.
DJ standing with his trainer. As mentioned above, DJ is a huge young man with an even bigger heart.
DJ getting in some cardio.
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