Location Enabled

Location: Hospital

If I would have glanced at Joel’s location prior to this past week & had seen that it was at the hospital, I would’ve absolutely panicked.

And honestly rightfully so.

Joel has fought DILIGENTLY for everything tangible & otherwise, that he has. And while obviously the Lord has been faithful to answer those prayers from friends of great faith… you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. What am I saying here?

Joel has put in the work, too. The Lord has INDEED blessed him immensely but Joel keeps on showing up.

He continued with school when he was behind & wanted to quit.

He wanted the education.

He continued with Publix even after a painful motorcycle accident that left him in the hospital for a week with a major infection.

He wanted the experience.

He spent his own hard earned money to buy an old truck and fix his car so he would have reliable transportation to work and to well, fish. A man’s gotta really live, after all.

He wanted to LIVE.

And he gets up every day and takes all the things to keep his donated kidney healthy and happy. Day in and day out.

While other 14 year olds were worrying about -

Algebra, locker combinations, and their latest crush… Joel was mostly confined to the indoors and often to a hospital bed.

Times were beyond tough.

Joel’s got a lot to figure out still. At 20, contrary to what he’d tell you, there’s still some things he hasn’t quite mastered. Don’t get me wrong, he can fix a busted radiator on his old truck and tie a fishing line, like no one’s business and even play the part of travel planner for his buddies on a snowboarding trip.

But, at this very moment he is DRIVING the ambulance. NOT riding as passenger/patient.

Yes, it’s true. He’s hoping endlessly he can drive right through a red light at some point and not get pulled over but nevertheless, there ain’t a soul I’d rather have drive me in big hurry in an ambulance, other than Joel.

He wants to continue on.

He wants to be a help.

He thinks he can do this. And honest to goodness if anyone in this world would have compassion from truly understanding…empathetic to the core… it would be him.

And while I literally cannot say the words out loud without completely choking up… I am so stinkin proud.

Seeing his location at the hospital today gave me a jolt unlike any other time of me knowing he was at the hospital.

Overwhelming gratefulness.

Almost some type of full circle moment.

Sure I was grateful before, knowing he was being taken care of by some of the best and brightest in the whole world… but this? This is different.

He’s “just” a driver now with only a few classes behind him, but he’s gonna keep on. He’s going to tackle EMT and hopefully paramedic school, as well.

He has a goal and this mama will stand beside him and cheer him on, every single step.

So today? Today I won’t stand here utterly paralyzed at seeing his location at the hospital. I’ll still pray for health, but I’ll now pray & stand in the gap for a complete stranger.