Thought for the Week: If I die, will you raise my son?

In 2013, when Tricia was 43 years old, she was diagnosed with a rare form of liver cancer. She knew her situation was serious and, while she was undergoing chemotherapy treatment, had a heavy burden on her heart; who would look after her 8-year-old son, Wesley, after she died? She prayed to God, asking him to help and guide her.

One day in March 2014, when Tricia was having diagnostic tests, oncology nurse Tricia Seaman was assigned to care for her. The two women immediately hit it off and Tricia Somers shared with her nurse her fears and concerns for Wesley. Although Tricia Seaman was not assigned to care for Tricia again during her 10-days at the hospital, she often popped in to see her. On the day before Tricia Somers was discharged, she told Tricia Seaman the cancer had spread and she only had a short time to live. Then she asked her, “If I die, will you raise my son?”

It was a big decision but, after talking and praying, Tricia Seaman and her husband, Dan, agreed to take care of Wesley when Tricia died. They already had 3 teenage daughters and a younger son. They had wanted another child, but it hadn’t been possible. When Tricia Somers’ health deteriorated, Tricia Seaman and Dan invited her and Wesley to move in with them and their children. Tricia Seaman cared for Tricia during the last 5 months of her life until she died in December 2014. Tricia Somers said they were the best 5 months of her life and during that time Wesley got to know his new family. Tricia Seaman said, “God had this planned perfectly, there was a reason I was Tricia’s nurse. I feel so blessed to have known her and now to have the privilege of raising her son.”

We all face issues in life that are too big for us to handle. At such times we, too, can pray to God. He hears our prayers and answers them, as he answered the prayers of Tricia Somers. A well-known hymn says, “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer!