"My Father's Eyes"

Unfortunately, I was one of those kids. A little too confident when I probably shouldn't have been. It was early to mid 90's, and I truly felt as though I rocked the side pony tail and my first pair of eye glasses. I had a Coca-Cola hair bow and popcorn pieces painted on my bright blue socks. I definitely knew how to work it back then! And let's not forget about the teal green cassette Walkman clipped to my lovely and very pleated orange shorts. Man...I was cool!

I had just bought that Walkman with my own money and I was pumped! So, for Christmas that year...I asked for cassettes! Oh the cassettes! They came in waves from family members! To make things even more fun, I got a matching teal green cassette case to put them all in! I felt on top of the world! 

Although I can't remember half of the cassettes that were in that case...one clearly sticks out in my mind: Amy Grant's "Father's Eyes." I used to sing the hit song on that cassette over and over. I would walk around the house, with my headphones on, and completely annoy my brother and sister with my loud singing of those lyrics. Their response to my annoyance was pretty brutal. They would first make fun of me for listening to Amy Grant, and second, they would tell me that I sounded awful! Deep down, however, I knew they were just jealous. I knew that I sounded just like her...if not better! :)

Even now, when I think about the song "Father's Eyes," I can't help but smile. I remember that teal Walkman and I can still hear those lyrics...word for word.

The song is about a woman wanting desperately to reflect her Heavenly Father in all things. When people look her direction, she doesn't want them to see her, she wants them to see Christ. When they look into her eyes...she wants them to see her "Father's eyes."

As a girl...this song intrigued me. To be quite honest, I am not sure why. Maybe it is because I liked all the "runs" in the music. (Despite what my siblings thought about it, I personally felt as though I sang them quite well!) Maybe it was because the song was super slooowww and it didn't take me long to memorize it. Or maybe the whole "Father" thing intrigued me. I guess I had never really thought about God being our "Heavenly Father" before. The thought of Him being real and having eyes definitely made me think. My mom and sister had brown eyes. My dad and brother had blue eyes. My eyes were green. Who were my eyes like? Thinking that my eyes could look just like His fascinated me. And so I sang...at the top of my lungs...I sang! :) 

Now that I am older, I see things a little differently. 

Having the eyes of Christ. Living a life that brings glory to God in all things. Proclaiming Him in all situations. Seeing people as God sees them. Feeling their pain. Having compassion. Loving, forgiving, trusting, obeying. Clinging to the cross. Reflecting Him...no matter what.

I can't help but think about Michael. He always saw the good in things...the good in people. He wanted so desperately to see things the way God saw them. He truly had his Heavenly Father's eyes. 

Michael had six surgeries throughout the four years he fought brain cancer. Five of those surgeries were done at the MDAnderson Cancer Center in Houston. All five of them were done by Dr. Jeffrey Weinberg.

This past weekend, many of us had the privilege of running a 5K in honor of Michael. The Run for the Rose event was held on April 10th at Reliant Park in Houston. The Run raised over $440,000 for brain cancer research. The entire event was an incredible thing to be a part of. 

At the starting line, I ran in to Dr. Weinberg. He was a part of the medical team for the race. I hadn't seen him in over a year and I was thrilled that I had a brief opportunity to thank him in person for all his efforts in Michael's treatment. He and his team are remarkable.  They were so good to us and treated us like family during our entire journey at MDAnderson. Although the thought of another brain surgery had both Michael and I on edge at times, when Dr. Weinberg and his nurse walked into the room, we were put at ease immediately. They have an unbelievably hard job to do, and they do it so very well. They never gave up on us, and for that, I will forever be grateful. 

After I crossed the finish line, I saw him again. This time...I was able to talk to him a bit longer. I got to talking about Titus and I told Dr. Weinberg that he looked just like Michael. He had his hair, his coloring, and his eyes. Dr. Weinberg looked at me, smiled, and said "well, I can't honestly say that I ever saw Michael with hair...but I do remember his eyes." After a little while, my mom came over with Titus. When Dr. Weinberg saw him...he just kept saying "wow, he really does have Michael's eyes." His family was also at the race and when he introduced us, he said to his wife "this little guy has his daddy's eyes." 

People say that all the time: "Titus has Michael's eyes." I always smile when I hear that. I loved Michael's eyes. They were a beautiful blue. They were slightly slanted and had a "puppy dog" feel to them. They were absolutely precious. It fills my heart with joy to know that Titus has those same eyes. 

His father's eyes. 

May Titus grow to love you Lord. May he learn to see things like you do. May his beautiful blue eyes, that look so much like his earthly father's eyes, reflect You. May they reflect Your Son. As he grows older, may his heart's cry be...just like his daddy's was..."I want My Father's Eyes!" 

      

"Cancer Sucks...but God is Good!"

This past weekend, I was given the opportunity to speak at Relay for Life. The event began Friday evening and went through Saturday morning, April 1-2. It was held in Liberty, TX. 

Friday night, I shared the following: 

Hello...my name is Brooke Piatt and I am extremely honored to be here tonight! Having been personally affected by cancer, I consider it a tremendous privilege to be apart of this year’s Relay for Life and to join you all in the fight against cancer!

When Mrs. Menard asked me a while back if I wanted to speak tonight, my first thought was, “Oh my, what am I going to say?” So, I began to think...what could I say about cancer that will encourage someone? Someone who has cancer. Someone who has survived cancer. Someone who has been a caregiver for a cancer patient. Someone who is a family member or a close friend of a cancer patient. What in the world can I say that will bring them any encouragement?

Then it hit me. The only thing that I know about cancer is my personal story of cancer. How it has affected me. How it has affected my family. How it has affected my entire life. The same is for you. The only thing you know about cancer is your personal stories of cancer. How it has affected you. How it has affected your families and how it has affected and completely changed your lives. Everybody’s stories are so different...so unique...and so very attached to their individual situations. We have all responded to and have gone about our cancer journeys very differently. I have a feeling, however, no matter how different our stories may be, when we all hear or think of the word CANCER...our response is probably the same: CANCER SUCKS!  No other way around it...it just does!

My husband, Michael Piatt, was diagnosed with a Glioblastoma Grade 4 brain tumor in October of 2006...just four months after we were married.

Cancer sucks? Absolutely!

After that frightful day in October, Michael underwent 6 surgeries, 10 weeks of radiation, and over two years of chemotherapy. In midst of the treatment, because of the fluid build up around Michael’s brain, he endured headaches. Horrible, migraine like headaches. For a solid three years, until they were able to put a permanent shunt in to relieve the pressure, he was in pain....constant, agonizing, headache pain.

Cancer sucks? You bet it does!

In January of 2009, while Michael and I were still journeying through cancer, my dad, John Spellman, was diagnosed with Leukemia. He fought hard, and him and my mom practically lived in the hospital the whole time Dad was sick. Because Leukemia is a blood cancer, he was constantly in need of blood transfusions, and when his white count got low, infections would set in. He was miserable and his body was in constant pain. In September...just 9 months after he was diagnosed...Dad lost his fight with that terrible disease, and he past away.

Cancer sucks? Devastatingly so.

My husband Michael continued to fight, and his cancer seemed controlled for a while...however, in January of 2010...a biopsy confirmed new tumor growth. The news wasn’t good...and the doctors weren’t hopeful. In spite of the doctors’ outlook, Michael continued to press on. This past December, however, after a four-year battle, he lost his fight against brain cancer...and he too, passed away.

Cancer sucks.

I will never forget...it was one of our first days at MD Anderson. Michael and I were in the pre-op room and he was getting prepped for one of his first surgeries. A young nurse be- bopped into the room to do some poking and prodding on Michael. Pinned to her scrub shirt was a big, bright yellow button that said in bold, black letters...CANCER SUCKS! When she left the room...I turned to Michael and with frustrated emotion, I threw the following statement at him: “Well, I am in complete agreement with her button...cancer does suck!” Michael just looked at me and started laughing. He nodded his head in agreement and between chuckles...he softly said: “Yes...cancer sucks...but God is good! ”

Michael...no matter how sick he was...always found a way to proclaim Christ in all things...in all situations.

Two summers ago, Michael was working part-time at Chick-fil-a. On one of his shifts, a lady came in who had just been diagnosed with the same type of cancer Michael had. At the time, Michael’s cancer was under control. This particular lady, however, had just been given the news that there was nothing anyone could do for her. The tumor was growing rapidly and due to the location, surgery was not an option. She asked Michael to tell her his story. He did...and once he was done...he smiled and boldly proclaimed: “I praise God...for He has healed me...He is so good!” Tears began to roll down her face and she asked him: “would you still be praising God like you are if He had chosen not to heal you? Would you still be so in love with Him if you were dying right now?” Michael looked at her and gently said: “Yes ma'am...you see...He healed me long before cancer ever entered my life.” She looked at him and asked: ”Are you talking about when He saved you?” Michael smiled and said “Yes”. A tear rolled down her cheek as a peaceful expression came across her face. “Thank you” she said. “That is what I needed to hear.” She picked up her bag and walked out of the restaurant. Although Michael never saw her again on this earth...I feel in my heart that they have connected again in heaven...and they are now singing praises to God at this exact moment for their “ultimate healings”. 

Cancer sucks...but God is good!

My dad...one of the strongest men that I knew...loved his family so very much. My mom, was the love of his life. They were a team...and for my entire life...I watched them. I wanted to marry someone just like my dad...for he loved my mom and us kids so very much. He worked hard for us and gave of himself constantly. He loved my mom like Christ loved the Church...and I wanted to spend my life with someone just like him. So I I searched...and I didn’t settle...until I found him. Michael Piatt. He and my dad were so much alike in so many ways. Although they loved their families and other people much more than they loved themselves, they loved their Heavenly Father first and foremost. I will never forget the last words I heard my dad say. He was ending a prayer...and as hard as it was for him to speak...he softly and gently said: “Thank you Lord...I love you...thank you Lord.” You know...I can’t help but wonder if the last words that he spoke on this earth were the first words that he spoke in Heaven.

Cancer sucks...but God is good!

Both Michael and Dad lived lives that gave glory to God in all things...even in their cancers...even in their deaths. They weren’t perfect by any means...they were sinners just like the rest of us. However, they loved their perfect Savior so very much, and because they trusted in Him for their salvation...cancer did not shake them.

I don’t know what your individual stories are. I don’t know how cancer has affected you. I don’t know what pain you have experienced or what fears you have faced. One thing I do know...however, is that this world is full of troubles. This life is full of heartache. In midst of pain...in midst of sorrow...however, there is hope....and that hope is found in Jesus Christ. It is because of him and through him alone that we are able to gain strength for today...hope for tomorrow...and the promise of forever...praise God!

"Cancer sucks...but God is good!"

Thank you for all that you are doing here tonight to put an end to such a horrible disease.

...Goodnight.