How good are you?

This photo was taken in Abilene in 2005. I got 1st place at that tournament. That was the first tourney I had played in years and was kind of a joke. I felt pretty special carrying home that trophy. All eyes were one me! After being praised by many for about 30 minutes and taking pictures with my trophy, isn't amazing how your parents always know what to say. My mom walks up to me and the first thing she says to me is, "golly mijo! You looked really overweight out there!"
Have you ever heard the term, "the older I get, the better I was..." That's what I've been dealing with these last few days. Round 4 of chemo is over! Thank God, but this round was really tough. I went in on Thursday and they were ready for me, but I only thought I was ready for them. If you talk to my wife, she will tell you that the days before chemo around our home it feels like we're going into battle. Because we are. We read scriptures together, we pray together, and we all work as one finely tuned platoon ready for battle. I may do the physical part of chemo, but it affects my entire family. My wife is like a 5 star general commanding the troops and preparing the logistics. Finally, the day has come and I walk out the door I know I am covered in prayer and my weapon is ready, my Bible.
On Friday night, I knew I wasn't feeling very well. I was starting to feel really bad. As I laid in my bed I began to feel sorry for myself. Oh boohoo poor me. I had told myself I was gonna pray, but instead I began to spout off to God in my head how bad I was feeling. I reminded God how I had served Him, how I always tried to keep my cool on the tennis courts. I also reminded God what a great speaker I once was...during one of those pauses as I laid there and tried to remind God about something else that made me so good, a nurse walked in and began to apologize because she hadn't been in my room in over an hour, (I'm pretty low maintenence). I was about to really tear into her when she said, "we have a man on this floor that is really sick and he may not make it through the night..." These nurses know that I'm always asking them what I can pray about for them. Just like my mom, she really knew what to say to boost my confidence. She reminded me where I needed to be and what I needed to be doing. Praying...
As I reflected on the weekend this verse came to me, 2 Corinthians 7:10, That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
God bless you this week and let us be strongest when we're on our knees...
Tony