July 14th Update: “Never Give Up”

Week five is complete and it has been a semi-rough week.   I had chemo on Monday and have been sick pretty much the whole week. Nausea and tiredness and dehydration have been the three main issues, however it has been hard to control my sugar due to the lack of keeping things down my tummy.  I will be taking extra fluids at the hospital during the weekend

On the positive side I have 15 more radiation treatments and one more chemo treatment. My voice continues to get stronger!  If I have no more delays I will be through with treatment by August 3^rd. I do expect my blood level to drop again, but I am hoping we can take any needed shots during a weekend and not have to take a week off.

Please pray for the following: 1) that my nausea and dehydration go away, 2) that my blood levels stay strong and 3) stay on schedule.

I could not sleep last night and God reminded me of my favorite verse of scripture and the story that goes with it.  In the summer of 1969 I met a man named John Westbrook.  John was a former NFL football player and the first black athlete to play football in the old Southwest Conference at Baylor.  In the spring of 1970 John came to our high school and spoke freely proclaiming his love for Jesus.   It was my privilege to get to introduce him that day and after the program he gave me an autograph picture of his Baylor days with these words: “To Keith, Never Give Up! Galatians 2:20.”   I immediately went home and memorized that verse.

A few years later when I was the Director of Student Ministries at Wayland Baptist University, I had the chance to invite John to speak at our chapel services.  John shared his personal stories with me about how hard it was to be a black athlete back in his day.  He was called all kinds of names, screamed at, hated and treated unfairly by people during football games.  That is why he used the phrase “Never Give Up” and Galatians 2:20. There were times it would have been easy for him to quit, but he didn’t.  He ran the race for the cause of God’s glory.  John became a pastor after his football days and was committed to sharing the gospel with anyone that would listen.

When I was restless last night God reminded me of the phrase, “never give up”.  I renewed my commitment to serve Him and to follow Him and to be used by Him in whatever way I can.  I cannot let anything stop me from proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. I must never give up. Christ doesn’t give up on us, nor should we give up on him.

Galatians 2:20    ²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me^[1]

^[1]The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ga 2:19–20). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.