Before I got sick, I didn’t always notice hurting people. Now, God brings those hurting people to me. It could occur during one of my many hospital stays. It could occur during the countless doctor appointments. It could occur in church. It could even be in a cafe.

During this crazy/beautiful health journey, God has placed many hurting people in my path. Why now? The answer is pretty simple, at least it is to me. My 16-year health journey has forced me to slow down.

I used to run 3 to 4 marathons a week. Yes, you read that correctly. Now, I get tired walking across the room. God has opened my eyes, my ears and most importantly, my heart. Heck, God even used the incident of my heart stopping, to help me share this crazy/beautiful journey.

We cannot see hurting people, if we are flying through life. God has slowed me down to help encourage others during this crazy/beautiful journey. But more importantly, He has given me the time to just sit and listen.

So my challenge to everyone is to slow down. Take the time to see hurting people. Take the time to listen to hurting people, just listen. People are not always looking for solutions. Sometimes they just want to be heard. Don’t be afraid of beautiful interruptions. ~OC

I will continue to pray this prayer and post on social media until there is justice for all in America. Current events against African-Americans just because of the color of their skin and my own encounters with racist comments, make this prayer even more urgent. I am praying for my brothers and sisters of color. I am praying that as you walk down the street, people will not clutch their purses or bags a little tighter. I am praying as you visit a place of business or your own dwelling, you will not be hassled. I pray, if for some reason you’re pulled over by the police, you will be treated with respect. I am saddened that I have to pray this prayer every day for my brothers and sisters of color. However, I will continue to lift this prayer up each day. I will continue to speak out against the injustices in this world. ~OC

During my long crazy/beautiful health journey, many friends have made the choice to leave. I must admit this has pained me. I used to ask myself if it was something I did? No, unfortunately those friends just could not handle my new reality. It is the reality of many doctors appointments and hospital stays. I would like to share a thought about sticking around.

I know it can be hard being around someone with a chronic, life-threatening illness. Heck, it is not easy for me or any person dealing with chronic health issues. People want to help, but don’t know what to do or say, so they eventually walk away. That is the easy solution. I would like to propose a different solution. You may not know what to say or do and I am okay with that. I would ask that you please don’t walk away. ~OC

During this crazy/beautiful health journey, people have asked a lot of questions and made many comments. One comment I get often, “For being so sick,  you sure do a lot of socializing and traveling!” Really? I am fighting for my life and you are worried I am having too much fun? This used to bother me a little, but then I finally had to realize this is my journey. I choose how I will live it.

So Laura and I will continue to travel when the opportunity presents itself. Will I always feel up to it? No. Most of the time traveling is not easy for me. It would be much easier to stay home and not deal with all the issues traveling brings me. But then I would miss out on making memories with my bride. I would miss out on some amazing experiences.

So, Laura and I will continue to take trips and hang out with our friends. We will tell jokes and laugh. We will talk about social issues and how to fix them. We will remember past experiences. Sometimes, we will actually talk about my health and my future. Of course, we will probably throw in some dark humor along the way. No, I will continue to truly live life. You see, I want to be a moment maker. Try it sometime. ~OC

Today’s a new day! Love & Hope are contagious. Spread them! ~OC

As I watch the news, scroll through social media, and hear stories from my family/friends, my heart breaks. During this crazy/beautiful health journey, I feel God has given me the ability to truly see the pain of people I come across in my daily walk. It is like I literally take on their pain. I believe God wants me to be constantly reminded, that my journey in comparison, is not as bad as so many others. All I have to do is turn on the news, jump on social media, or visit the doctors office/hospital, to realize how blessed I am. My journey is not easy, but I have been blessed with a wonderful and supporting wife. I have family and friends who truly care for me. So many do not have the same experience.

Feeling others pain so strongly is not easy. It keeps me up a lot during the night. It truly hurts to see so many hurting people and know I cannot help everyone that passes by me. It grieves my heart. That is why I spend so much time in prayer. When I ask for people to share their prayer request, I genuinely want to pray for those that are hurting. I also want to rejoice and celebrate when those prayers are answered.

I pray we will all slow down, so we can truly see the hurting people God is putting in our lives. We may not be able to help everyone in a material way, but we can pray for everyone God allows in our lives. It will definitely take a different mindset, but what a beautiful world we would have, if we took the time to actually be the hands and feet of Jesus. ~OC

I am a Missionary. When I share that, most people respond with, “Really?” Yes, I am a Missionary. No, I do not travel off to far-away lands. My missionary work takes me to doctors appointments and hospital stays. That is where God has me planted.  During my 16 year crazy/beautiful health journey, God has blessed me with the wonderful opportunity to share an encouraging word and pray for my fellow patients. I have prayed with people who would not see another year. I have rejoiced with those that were given a second chance at life. This work has not been easy. It has taken a toll on me physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. But I would not trade a second. My life has been blessed and forever changed by this amazing journey. I am a Missionary. ~OC

Today’s a new day! This crazy/beautiful journey has taken many winding roads. I cannot always see what’s up ahead, though I desperately look for any kind of signs. So I keep my eyes focused on God’s footprints, who have gone before me. ~OC

It is so easy to be consumed with thoughts about what happened yesterday or about issues we might face during the week. We might totally miss out on the beautiful interruptions, and memory making opportunities that are right in front of us….today. ~OC

Today’s a new day! Take action instead of complaining. ~OC