Category: family

In case you’ve not heard, Susan and I are going to be grandparents! Taylor and Emma are expecting their first child in the middle of March. We are all excited!

Though his fishing time may be diminished soon, I can picture Taylor teaching a little boy or girl how to fish in a few years. Since he was young, our son has loved to fish and God has answered many prayers and taught many lessons on the water. Several of Jesus’ disciples also experienced God’s intervention while fishing.

When the Rabbi called, “Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men,” the fishermen followed. When Jesus invites us to ‘fish’ with him, we see the priorities of the kingdom: people. He came to seek and to save the lost and he invites his disciples to participate.

Besides knowing all about lures and having a great ‘feel’ for what is happening under the water, Taylor has developed an important skill: he knows how to locate fish. “Cast your net on the other side!” Jesus helped his friends catch a boatload by telling them where the fish were.

I love the story in Acts 10 of Peter going up on a roof to pray. The Holy Spirit instigated one of the greatest ‘fishing trips’ of all time. He sent Peter to a forbidden zone to seek an unfamiliar ‘catch,’ and the result was the beginning of God’s plan for the Gentiles. II Chronicles says: “The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” Cornelius longed for the Lord… so God sent a fisherman to share the gospel.

If I desire to ‘fish’ with Jesus I must value souls above everything the world promotes: wealth, position, pleasure, sports, comfort… Then I must have my eyes and ears open to his direction. Finally I must be ready to share the gospel: Jesus came as the Son of God; Jesus lived a sinless life; Jesus hung on a cross and carried my sins; Jesus died as a sacrificial Lamb; Jesus rose from the dead and defeated the devil; and Jesus is now sitting next to the Father waiting to return. He knows how to catch men and he invites us to join him!

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” Romans 1:16

Greetings to everyone from the Davis family. After a wonderful summer, we are once again beginning another school year. Our youngest daughter Karlyn recently returned from Uganda, where she worked with children in need during the months of June and July. She headed back to college this week and we are excited about all God is doing in her life.

Early in the summer, Susan, John, and I, along with Kinsey, Jordan, Taylor, and Emma, got to visit the Grand Canyon for the first time ever. After witnessing a beautiful sunset at the close of the day, Susan and I left our group to visit the restrooms before driving to our motel.

As we reached the top of a hill, a woman got our attention and pointed to a clump of trees not far from us. There stood a huge elk with a great set of antlers feeding on the leaves of a tree.

Immediately I knew the rest of the family would want to see this marvelous animal, so I started running back toward the canyon. It was getting dark and I couldn’t see plainly, but when I thought I spotted our crew, I yelled, “Elk, elk!”

The description given by others was quite humorous as we later recounted the story. Kinsey said she saw this old man running down the mountain. Taylor said he knew it was me because I ran like ‘Peepaw,’ my dad. All were a little concerned because they misunderstood my message. Instead of hearing, “Elk, elk!” they thought I was shouting “Help, help!” I was too out of breath to explain, but everyone walked the direction I pointed and eventually witnessed God’s beautiful creature.

So what is God saying these days? I’m quite confident the One who loves us perfectly is always speaking and sometimes shouting, wanting all to hear and respond. Jesus constantly offered invitations as He walked the earth and the Father wants us to hear these invitations today. “God, help me to listen; help me to understand; and help me to accept.”

“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.” Hebrews 1:1-3

Susan and I made great time in a six-hour drive from Atlanta to Memphis Saturday morning. But the two-hour trip from Memphis to Little Rock took seven as a truck accident shut down the interstate. So we arrived at Jordan’s graduation from medical school just as the crowds began streaming out of the Verizon Arena. At least we got to take pictures and eat a celebratory dinner with Kinsey and Dr. Stanley.

Last week our eighth graders had a nice graduation ceremony and this week our seniors graduate. But we all know there is more to come. The eighth graders begin high school next year, the seniors become freshmen in college, and Jordan starts four years of a residency program to become an ophthalmologist.

Besides receiving a diploma and participating in a great celebration, graduation insinuates that one is ready for the next step. In a similar sense I have stressed to my Algebra students this year that my job was to get them ready for their future math courses. “If you do not master Algebra 1, there is no way to succeed in Algebra 2!” My students got tired of me saying it.

I guess Christians don’t graduate from one level to a next, but I believe God understands perfectly the progression of growth His children are to make. I wonder sometimes if we would be wise to ask what He is trying to teach us.

Before we are ready to take the Gospel to a foreign land, maybe He wants us to talk to our next-door neighbor about eternal matters. Before we are ready to capture our city for Christ, perhaps He wants us to learn to treat those in our workplace like we want to be treated. Before we are ready to do some grand act of service, maybe God wants us to obey a little thing He’s been telling us to do.

As Jeremiah complained about his difficulties, God said: “If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?” (Jeremiah 12:5) God knows what we need to go through before we are really ready for the next thing.

As always, Jesus is our best example. The Father even taught His only Son… and when everything was complete, the Son laid down His life for each of us.

“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through the things he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.” Hebrews 5:7-9

Kinsey and Jordan returned from Africa this past weekend and we celebrated the homecoming. After spending a month in Uganda and a month in Ethiopia they had a host of stories to tell.

The problem with young people in the medical profession is that they forget most of us don’t relish the graphic details of surgery and disease. They shared with us that they witnessed quite a variety of situations on their trip:

• A critical crocodile bite
• Two boys bitten in the face by hyenas
• A man bitten by a dog they feared was rabid
• A boy whose arm had to be amputated because of a witch doctor’s poor care
• Tuberculosis, AIDS, malaria, and advanced cancers
• A mom who had lost five previous babies in childbirth (#6 survived!)

Kinsey and Jordan were each able to deliver babies and celebrate the joy of new life coming into the world. They met some outstanding doctors and nurses who honor Jesus by caring for those with physical needs. They worked with some who had only lived in Africa a short while and others who were seasoned veterans.

An older couple shared a story that took place several years ago while their two children were young. They had moved to Africa from Texas with skills in surgery and family medicine. They loved God and wanted to use their talents in His service in a foreign land.

One day they heard a scream from the room of their seven year old little boy. “A snake bit me!” he cried. The father got a knife, killed the snake, and chopped off its head. The snake was a poisonous viper, and the boy required eight vials of anti-venom to defeat its poison. Only two vials were found in the entire village.

After administering the two vials, the parents patiently waited to see what would happen. Soon the child cried of pain in his leg. Next, fevers began and his heart started racing. Soon the area around the bite turned black and began to spread. The father feared that the only way to save his child was to amputate the boy’s leg.

Word spread throughout the village of the crisis and everyone was asked to pray. An African pastor and other believers entered the room and asked if they could pray for the child. The American parents of course said ‘yes’ but as the entire leg had turned black, they thought it was hopeless. With tears in her eyes, Kinsey described the older couples’ account of the passionate, bold prayers of the African believers and the result that still impacts their faith and family.

Immediately the child’s heart stopped racing, his fever broke, and his pain subsided. The little boy was healed. It took two days for his leg to return to its natural color, but prayers of faith had resulted in a miracle.

We serve a God who has always had power over those things that harm his children. Kinsey and Jordan came back from Africa with increased faith and renewed love. We are thankful.

“Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, ‘This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.’ But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.” Acts 28:3-5

There are probably more, but Susan and I know of only three people in Atlanta who have had multiple myeloma longer than I have. We have regular contact with patients and caregivers at a support group that meets the first Saturday of each month. Unfortunately we have lost count of the number of men and women who have died of this blood cancer since I was diagnosed in 2000.

God receives the credit and all the glory for his love and provision. In the support group, we learn to rejoice with those with good news and to suffer with those who are hurting. As we love one another without reservation God also receives glory.

Until there is a cure, CR (complete remission) is the term all multiple myeloma patients long to hear from their doctor. CR indicates a complete lack of cancer cells in the blood, but the cancer can return.

A year ago a trial drug had early success in my case, but after four months the cancer numbers were worse than when I started treatment and we knew we were in a dangerous place. But God sovereignly rules over matters we often label ‘chance’ and He is never confused or alarmed. My doctor in Atlanta helped with my first stem cell transplant in 2001. Over time he has become one of the leading multiple myeloma researchers in the world. He arranged for me to enter a new trial from Europe that was opening at only one hospital in the United States… Emory. I was the third person of ten patients selected and all of us were randomly placed in one of two trial categories — a rather mild once-a-month dose or a rigorous once-a-week dose. Of course I was hoping for the easy group… but was placed in the other.

After six months on this trial, I learned last week that every blood test and every test performed on a bone marrow collection reveals that I am in complete remission. I told Susan that I sometimes think the doctors and nurses are more excited about good reports than I am. Of course we rejoice and praise God but we both hesitate to get overexcited or overly distressed regarding any news. I will continue on the trial drug as a type of maintenance treatment, so I will continue to visit Emory.

A couple of weeks ago I went to see our son Taylor as he was on duty at one of his school’s soccer games. As I approached the gate, a lady I did not recognize said, “You’re Taylor’s dad! I go to church with your friend Jon and we have prayed for you for several years. I’m glad you are doing well!” Such kindness reminds me to be grateful and to say ‘thank you’ to so many who have prayed for me and my family. So ‘thank you’ and remember that “with God all things are possible.”

“Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12