In Honor of a Five Year Old

Do you ever wonder why someone is put in your path? Why, out of all the people in this world, did you meet them? Or maybe you have known someone for years and just learned about one of their family members. Such is the case with me and this precious little five year girl named Elizabeth Danielle Bailey.

This story goes back to when I was 12 years old and I moved from my little town of Hedley, Texas to a larger town about an hour away. We moved because my dad had found work there and he had been traveling each week back and forth, coming home on the weekends. My whole world was rocked, because I had never known anywhere else except this little quaint town. It was filled with hard working cotton farmers who were working sun up to sun down just to keep alive. We had the summer to settle in and we met a family across the street that had a girl my age and one my older sisters age. At least I had one person to say hi to when I walked into my new school. After several days of school I met a girl that was in several of my classes and found out that she lived just down the street from me. Danita and I got to be best of friends and stayed friends all the way through high school. I could go on and on with stories about her and I. But that is not this story.

Danita had 2 sisters, Becky was just 4 years younger than us and then Heidi was about 10 years younger. When I would visit Danita at her house, Becky was always there and always so sweet to me. I just remember her beautiful long blond hair and her sweet smile and sparkly eyes. I actually ran into Becky at Silver State Youth Camp shortly after I was married. We talked breifly and she told me that Danita was married and had moved to Montana. Wow!

Just recently I logged into Classmates.com and found Danita and we have been writing back and forth now for several months. When I asked her about her parents and siblings she started to tell me about Becky and her granddaughter, Elizabeth. Her family calls her Eli. Thanks to a site called CarePages.com I have been able to go back to the beginning of when this little girl was first diagnosed and read through the journal of them walking through this ordeal. She has a brain tumor and just recently they have found a cyst on the tumor. She has been through numerous surgeries, chemo, radiation and is now fighting for her life. She is a beautiful little girl that knows Jesus. But in reality she is scared, or maybe terrified. She is continually in and out of Childrens Hospital in Denver. It is life itself and what it is handing her on a daily basis that tramatizes her. The reality is that they talk to her about what they are going to have to do, they put her to sleep and when she wakes up.... she either has more tubes running out of her or she is hurting. This would terrify any adult, can you imagine being five year old and going through this?

Because of a relationship over 43 years ago, I know the roots of this family. I know they are committed to the Christian walk. They are sure of their salvation and have taught 2 generations this same walk. They are a living testimony of what it means to Walk with the Lord. When I read posting about Elizabeth, I am in awe of what this little girl is enduring. I try to think of a nick name for her and the only one that comes to mind is Brave Heart. I never saw the movie, so some might think it does not fit..... but just to look at these two words..... I think the words describe her.

Lord, thank you for putting this relationship in my life many years ago, rekindling this friendship this past year, and showing me a young life that truly does put her life in your hands. Amen!