Celebrating Love, Life, & a Son, 20 Years Cancer-free

This month is a special month. This month I celebrate my darling son and his amazing, godly life that our sovereign Father God spared 20 years ago ... and not only spared, but brought to abundant fruitfulness inside and out! Can I tell you the story? 

Twenty years ago on February 13, 1998, my beautiful baby boy, Jeremy John Loyd, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer.  OK, he wasn't a baby at the time...he was 20 years old and a sophomore at Grace College.  But as every one of you moms knows, your baby is always your baby.

This was the same son I prayed for, gave birth to, sang hymns to while nursing, taught Scriptures to, cried over, laughed with, read to, taught and eventually launched into young adult life.  This was the sweet little boy who would smell my coffee at 5:00am and show up smiling at 5:15, ultimately joining me in my early morning devotions. This was the little guy who would sing to me about God's love for me, when he would catch me crying. And I could go on, telling you about the artistic, sensitive, affectionate, funny, basketball-loving little boy who had my heart.

So how could this be happening?

To say the diagnosis was a shock is an understatement.  It was an incredible shaking. But it was also a perfect, but painful, opportunity to be "carried by Arms much bigger than our own."  We had the hard honor of seeing our handsome son, on the brink of beautiful young adulthood, walk through the trial of his life with grace, courage, and the strength of an Almighty Savior in the midst of his fear.

And oh, the prayers that were prayed and answered in what were obviously powerful God-ways! We thank God for a skilled, godly surgeon, Dr Finley, who was moved by the Spirit in answer to Pastor Don's prayer for "skill beyond his skill." We thank all of you who came alongside and prayed and cleaned our house and fixed us food and loved Jeremy and us during that most difficult of times.

So today I'm remembering and celebrating LIFE...Jeremy's beautiful, precious, God-honoring LIFE! 

For those of you who know our son, you are incredibly blessed!  You know him as a loving, caring, humble, gifted, talented man who is faithful to his God, his wife, his sons, his family, and his friends and colleagues.  Can you imagine life without him?  I can't!

And so my treasured gift of a son, my Jeremy John Loyd,

Today I celebrate your life...and God's incredible mercy! And how I thank God for preserving your life cancer-free these past 20 years! May He give you many more for His honor and glory and for the joy and delight of all who know you!

With love and prayers as long as there's breath,

Your grateful Mom

I love you up to the moon
And I love you big as the sky
I love to watch you when you sleep
I love to hold you when you cry

One day when you're older
And taller than me
I'll say I watched you grow
Like a beautiful tree

I love you up to the moon
And I love you big as the sky
You'll always be my little man
I love you the best that a mama can

And one day if you rise up
And call me blessed
I'll say it was a joy
To give you my best

'Cause I love you up to the moon
I love you big as the sky
I love you up to the moon
I love you up to the moon