I had to minister in Charlotte, NC in January of this year. At that time, Demetrius Samuel, Jr.’s parents were rejoicing because, what doctors believed might be cancer, wasn’t. They were both happy and relieved. His father, Elder Demetrius Samuel, Sr., a minister and his mother Sister Catherine Samuel, a singer, love God, serve in ministry with their gifts and do their best to raise both their son and daughter Denae in the fear of the Lord. When we were out to dinner the evening before I had to fly back home, I noticed Demetrius Jr. was lethargic. He didn’t want to eat. He had laid his head down on in his hands. I asked what was going on with him. Catherine told me he had been like that for a while. His appetite wasn’t very good and he had been having headaches. Silently, I prayed for him, sensing that something wasn’t quite right, but not knowing what was going on. Months later, I got the news. The doctors were wrong. It was, in fact, cancer. Leukemia. T-cell ALL (acute lymphocytic leukemia), to be exact. Demetrius Jr. had to go through intense chemotherapy and radiation, and was very ill in April when I returned to Carolina for an in-home visit. He was frail, with hardly any appetite and even less energy. He was depleted from all the treatments and that aggressive illness. His father had to carry him up and down the stairs. He had lost so much weight. I just wanted to be there, to do whatever I could to help out. One afternoon, when I found out he was awake, I asked permission from his parents to go up and spend a little time with him in his bedroom. We had a conversation. Demetrius Jr., though hardly able to project his voice, made me laugh. He’s such a nice young man and very funny, too. He was mindful of everything and even apologized for some of the symptoms of his condition he thought might make me uncomfortable. “There’s no need to apologize,” I told him. “You’re fine. I’m just happy to be able to hang out with you.” We talked about all sorts of things—his hobbies, friends and his love of making people happy. “I don’t like to see anyone sad,” he said. “If there is a person nobody else will talk to, I will go and talk to them.” That’s just the kind of guy he is. So gentle and kind. I thought about how wonderful it was for a 14-year-old young man to be that warm and considerate of others. His parents have done an outstanding job. I knew he was in a lot of pain, though, so periodically I asked if he was tired. I didn’t want to wear him out. He told me he was okay and wanted to talk some more. We did. A lot more. Then, the conversation turned toward faith. I told him how much God loved Him and learned that he had been thinking a lot about spiritual matters. Together, we prayed, as he recommitted his life to the Lord. It was a beautiful moment—one I will never forget. While I was there, Demetrius Jr. couldn’t really eat, even when I brought him his favorites. His stomach couldn’t handle it. So when I learned that he really loves steak, I told him, when he is well, we’re going to go and have a steak dinner to celebrate. On my flight back home, all I could think about was Demetrius, Jr. I prayed for him, recounted our conversation, thought about his family and asked God to please heal his body. Still, I’m believing for a TOTAL healing. It has been an ordeal. Recently, when I learned that he had experienced kidney failure and had to go through dialysis, I prayed some more. Demetrius Jr. lost his ability to walk and had to go through rehab. Doctors said he would be wheelchair bound for quite some time. I learned that the doctors were wrong again. Glory to God. With only 1% of leukemia cells remaining in his body, Demetrius Jr. got an early discharge and WALKED out of the hospital. God is able. The journey is still not over, however. Next year, Demetrius Jr. will undergo a bone marrow transplant. Today, I am asking, if you can and will, donate to this family’s Go Fund Me Page that has been set up to help with Demetrius Jr.’s treatment. A gift of any size will help. There is nothing too small. Donate here--> gofundme/e08jic Also, let’s join our faith together for a complete turnaround. I believe the word of God when it says in James 5:16 NLT that “…The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” I’m looking forward to that steak dinner.
Posted on: Sat, 06 Dec 2014 15:37:06 +0000
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