persevere

Posted on September 15, 2022 by Dana

On May 5, 2022, we were two months away from our trip to Spain. I was to speak four different mornings to 30+ coaches and counselors who were preparing to welcome over one hundred young people to join them in camp. I felt God had given clear messages to share that would hopefully encourage everyone in Christ. This was the day I started having health challenges. A sinus infection grew so intense that I was hospitalized the last week of school.

From a physical standpoint, sickness is a bummer. You just have to fight through it. From a spiritual standpoint, one must choose which voices to accept: ‘See Dana, you can’t go to Spain, what if this happens over there?’ Or: ‘Keep your eyes on Me and do not be afraid. I am with you and nothing transpires without My permission.’ God tells us that attaining perseverance is critical for His children.

I chose to persevere, though my blood counts were particularly bad. For a healthy person, platelet counts run from 150,000 – 400,000. Mine regularly measure 2000… which is why I get infusions twice a week. Platelets make a person’s blood clot, so when this count is low, any weak place in the body is vulnerable to bleed. A healthy person has a hemoglobin count of 12.9 – 16.1. Mine rarely hits 10. When I dip below 8, I receive a unit of blood. I was receiving one unit of blood per week.

June 20, I was feeling very weak, but I thought I could hold out one more day before going to Emory for my scheduled infusion. Susan left for work early the 21st and I made it to my car a little later and drove to Emory. Reaching the desk, I just laid my head on it and the sweet worker asked, ‘Mr. Davis, are you tired?’ They called one of my doctors to come check on me and she ordered paramedics to put me on a stretcher and take me to the ER. My hemoglobin had dropped to 4.4 and my platelets were at 1000. I called Susan and she left work to join me. Exactly two weeks before our trip, I was admitted to ICU and spent 10 days in the hospital.

‘So now what, Lord? I can’t go to Spain if I’m in the hospital.’ They discovered I was bleeding in the lower GI and I was scheduled for a colonoscopy to find the source. The procedure was partially successful, but they told me they would need to do more work later. In ICU, I made friends with several nurses and doctors. I told one nurse the second day, “My wife and I are to go to Spain in less than two weeks. Do you think you could let people know I need to get out of here as soon as possible?” Word spread quickly.

So many nurses peeked in to tell me they were praying for our trip. Of course, some were a little worried, but they were all encouraging. The wise, kind, experienced ICU doctor, who visited me every morning, shared interesting advice on the 6th day, before I was moved to another floor. “Mr. Davis, I would advise this regarding your trip to Spain: weigh the risks. Weigh the risk of going out of the country with a weakened body and weigh the risk of not going.” Since I still felt God wanted us to go, the risk of not going meant not trusting our Heavenly Father. He has protected me all over the world and most of the time I feel better in another county than I do in the States. The risk of choosing ‘my understanding’ over ‘trusting the Lord’ was something I did not want to take. I was thankful for the doctor’s advice.

Finally, I was released from Emory on Thursday, June 30. We were to depart Tuesday, July 5. Susan and I were still in unity. I contacted our missionary friends and confirmed our time of arrival in Barcelona. It looked like many prayers were being answered.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

“You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.” Hebrews 10:36

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counsel

Posted on September 8, 2022 by Dana

Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice.” Many years ago, Susan and I were at her parents’ house for the weekend and attended Sunday school at the church where she grew up. The topic centered on God communicating with man. The strange thing was that I had already heard the lesson. I leaned over to Susan and whispered, ‘I dreamed of this very class last night… same subject and everything.’ An old friend sitting behind us commented, ‘The word is going around there are some people in Atlanta saying they hear God speaking to them.”

I took a deep breath and slipped my hand up in the air. “Most of you know Susan and I live in Atlanta, so I’ll just comment that I think God communicates with us in many different ways. I don’t often remember my dreams, but last night I dreamed of this very Sunday school class.” A good friend of Susan’s, sitting in front of us proclaimed, “He did! I just heard him whisper to Susan…” Everyone seemed to be getting a little uncomfortable, and I felt sorry for the teacher, but we were all rescued by the bell and class was dismissed. Departing the classroom, several people gathered around, not to tell me I was a heretic, but to share similar stories they had experienced. One said, “I just have never shared my story, because it sounds so crazy.”

Last week I wrote that in January I heard God say, ‘I want you to go back to Spain.’ I am not clever enough to ask for signs like Gideon did, but I did pray God would give me and Susan unity. She was all in. I got in touch with our missionary friends and they were eager for us to return. I told them Karlyn had other commitments, so Susan would be my traveling partner.

God then seemed to line up three conversations, two totally unsolicited, to boost my confidence. A brother whose faith is far deeper than mine seemed overjoyed at the thought of another trip to Spain. He said God would make the way and we need not worry. Next, I had an appointment with the leading radiologist in Atlanta who works with multiple myeloma patients. An area in my arm was causing a bit of pain and my doctor felt thirty days of radiation would help. The radiologist’s name was Mohammed and I liked him at once. He showed me my recent PET Scan compared to other scans of patients. The spot on my arm was not nearly as bright as the other scans. Also, I was not in a lot of pain, so we decided to just keep an eye on it.

Before leaving, the doctor told of his travels to lecture all over the world about the effectiveness of radiation. We discovered we had both been to Israel lately and I said, “I guess my traveling days are coming to an end.” “Why’s that?” the doctor asked. “Well, I have to get platelets twice a week.” “So? Where do you want to go?” When I told him I wanted to go to Barcelona, he said, “That’s a modern city. They do the same things we do in the States. If you are in need, just go to a hospital and ask for platelets. No worries.” “Really? You want to come with me? You can lecture about your profession and I’ll tell people about Jesus!”

Less than two weeks later, one of my favorite nurses at Emory was taking care of me and I told him about the trip. The nurses are always quite busy, but Daniel found the time to pull up a chair and listen to our plans. He was so excited. He encouraged me to pray about it and then live in such a way as to have no regrets. We must have talked twenty minutes. When I got home, I told Susan to buy the tickets. So in March, before the airline tickets increased because of fuel prices, she purchased tickets to depart July 5 and return July 12 for $1000 per ticket.

My doctor always seems intrigued with my trips. His Nurse Practitioner, a dear friend, is more like my mom… she worries about me. “You know, Mr. Davis, flying with low platelets brings its own set of dangers.” But she did not discourage me. My parents support me too… and pray a lot. As we entered April, I had met with my doctors and told my parents. We were committed.

This is where we’ll pick up next week: God seemed to have confirmed His will through other people; Susan and I were in agreement; I was feeling pretty good as we entered the last month of school. Only God knew what was ahead.

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My loving eye on you.” Psalm 32:8

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faith

Posted on September 1, 2022 by Dana

“Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1)

The writer of Hebrews seems like the excellent, ‘tough as nails’ coach, who knows what is needed to be victorious and is not afraid to state things as they are. This coach operates out of a wealth of knowledge and experience, but is completely motivated by love for each player.

Though Jesus clearly depicted God as a loving Father, He also taught that our Father is no joke. What He says, He means; what He promises, He fulfills. He is full of grace and mercy, but His Word is true… ‘He will never change.’

For the next few weeks, I’d like to share some stories from this past summer. If you know me at all, you’ll know how imperfect I am. Paul wrote: ‘Work out your salvation with fear and trembling,’ which does not mean we earn our salvation. “For it is by grace you have been saved — through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8) Through His Son, God has accomplished every good thing. When we receive Christ as Savior and Lord, God aims to mold us into the image of His Son. He wants us to hear the Good Shepherd’s voice and to learn to live by faith. He gives us His Spirit to be our Guide, Comforter, and Helper. Jesus lives in us and says: ‘Now, live in Me.’

You may recall that my daughter Karlyn and I went to Spain in July 2021 at the invitation of Dave and Cindy Bintz, who have served as camp directors at L’Arcada Sports Camp in the small town of Banyoles, a couple hours from Barcelona. I was asked to share Jesus with the American coaches who had come to serve and the Spanish Christians who used their vacation time to be counselors. These counselors were between 18 and 28 years old, and most of them met Christ as teenagers at that same camp.

Less than 1% of the citizens of Spain claim any relationship with Jesus. Parents send their kids to L’Arcada because their children love sports and because they are immersed in English for a full week. Regarding Christianity, the parents basically give these instruction to their children: ‘Be polite, but we don’t want you to get involved in religion.’ The misdeeds of those throughout history who wrongly represented God still cause untold damage and leave a whole nation in darkness.

I was full of energy our entire trip, as we rose early and worked full speed until about midnight most days of the week. The day before we returned home, Karlyn and I traipsed through the lively city of Barcelona. We walked more than ten miles and visited most of the places we wanted to see. Karlyn was amazed at her old Dad.

Though we both picked up COVID on our trip and Karlyn’s phone was stolen on our hike through Barcelona, we were thankful to establish rich friendships, and I was able to encourage many in Christ. Before we departed, our new friends prayed for us and asked us to return.

About a month after the school year began, I had to start a new chemotherapy to fight multiple myeloma, the blood cancer I’ve dealt with since the year 2000. Soon my body started weakening and the doctors gave me some time off to recover. The chemo was effective and the cancer numbers dropped. My biggest problem became the impossibility of my bone marrow to produce blood cells. My pattern became visiting Emory twice a week to receive platelets and blood. One afternoon in January, while receiving an infusion, I felt God speak to my heart: ‘Dana, I want you to return to Spain this summer.’ Here began the faith journey of 2022…

“Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what you have been promised. For in just a little while: ‘He who is coming will come and will not delay. But My righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.’” (Hebrews 10:35-38)

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teachers

Posted on August 25, 2022 by Dana

New beginnings for teachers include learning names, getting the voice back into shape, communicating rules, and reminding ourselves why we do the things we do. Many have found it too difficult these days to continue in the teaching profession, but others, believing they have been given a gift to use, keep trying to fulfill a vital need in our society.

I don’t think people should criticize those who change professions or retire early or conclude that various obstacles in schools are overwhelming. Many teachers who have changed professions or retired or just stepped away from teaching for a season still use their gifts to influence the young. Those who continue to teach in schools should be praised for not giving up. Many parents gained a new appreciation for the job as the pandemic forced many changes and impacted most homes. We all know that the job must be done or we all suffer.

With two of our grandchildren now in Kindergarten and one in First Grade, Susan and I just want to know that our precious ones are loved, taught by those who really know how to teach, and have a chance to thrive in a healthy, safe environment. I can’t imagine the tragedies so many have endured these last decades as evil has targeted the young and innocent. Surely we can all pray for the children and parents in our nation.

Susan and I were involved deeply in John Turner’s life three days after he came into the world. He rode to school with me for ten years. He plans to leave this week to attend Indian Hills Community College to get a two year degree and wrestle in a small town in Iowa. So many people have had a role in John’s life over the years: family, church family, neighbors, coaches, teachers, and friends.

hensleyLast week, John drove from Alabama to visit a few days. Susan brought him to Greater Atlanta Christian School and he reconnected with several of his old teachers. They were all so happy to see him.

I said, “John, your music teacher, Dr. Hensley, not only prayed for you while you were her student, but has prayed for you ever since you moved to live with your mom and attend high school in a different state.”

When we popped into her room, Dr. Hensley was overjoyed. There was no pretense or fakery; John’s former teachers love and adore him. This is the love that changes the world. This is the love that never fails. This is the love that shows who God really is… Children are to be loved. Parents, church family, neighbors, coaches… and teachers are the Father’s instruments to reflect His true heart. May we all be faithful.

“Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud…. Love never fails.” I Corinthians 13:4,8

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encourage

Posted on May 26, 2022 by Dana

We’ve come to the end of another school year, so this will be my last writing for a while. Susan and I appreciate your love and prayers. Those who encourage others often don’t realize how important this is in the Body of Christ.

The younger generation needs encouragement these days. Many, many struggle with a lack of foundation and purpose. This may seem odd since so many accolades and privileges are showered on young people, but despite the well-intended efforts to build self-esteem and confidence, the lies of the enemy are more frequently believed: “You’re not good enough…” “You’ve got to prove your worth…”

Drowned out are God’s truths: “You are loved with an everlasting love…” “I have created you for a purpose…” Young people need encouragers who not only echo what God says but live authentic lives showing His messages to be true. Words are important, but kids are impacted more by what they see than what they hear.

When Paul wrote to early believers: “Imitate me as I imitate Christ,” he was pointing to the One who is the true Source of encouragement. If our children don’t find their identity in Christ, they will be constantly ‘tossed to and fro’ by the waves of this world. ‘Building up’ that which lasts is a building up of faith in the One who ‘holds all things together.’

David once wrote: “The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; Your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.” (Psalm 138:8) Faith means I know this to be true. No matter how bad I look or weak I get or lonely I feel, I can say with confidence: “It’s OK, Jesus is with me and He’ll never leave. He has a purpose for my life and He will work it all out. His love endures forever and by His grace I will trust and follow Him.”

Can young people adopt such a mindset? The answer is ‘Yes’, but only with Christ. In Christ we see the One who gave up everything, was despised and rejected, and yet, overcame. He overcame because He lived in His Father, and He encourages us to do the same.

Have a great summer!

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” I Thessalonians 5:11

“Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you.” John 14:19-20

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

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