Today at CBF's community gathering, Jack gave us an update on the pain management specialist he saw yesterday.
In typical Jack fashion, he shared the optimistic and good parts. The doctor has suggested an operation that will deaden the nerves around Jack's pancreas, and that will help lessen the pain. In the last few days, the pain's been pretty unbearable, even causing him to not be able to get sleep.
Last night, he said, the doctor had tripled his pain medication, and that allowed him the first full night's rest in a while. "If you've ever not been able to sleep, and then are given the blessing of rest, you know what a real gift that is," Jack reported.
(I will leave out the part where he said that doubling the pain medication hadn't helped, and tripling it helped a bit, though he may be in a cloud or fog and forgive him for walking around "high as a kite." I will leave that part out because it's unseemly for such a dignified upright individual to be promoting an altered state of consciousness!)
And though he said he might be in a fog, he did not appear to be at all. Still making us laugh, he did share that today special people were coming to take him to lunch. Friends from other faith groups that he was close with in Florida were flying up today to spend time with him, eat some, tell stories, and laugh alot. He expressed how touched he felt that they would take the time and effort to fly up just for this.
Expect another update from Jack himself in the next few days... or read his latest (below) from last week. Or add your own comments, observations, or wishes here.
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19 comments:
Thanks for sharing the journey with us. You are such an example of faith to all us. You are in our thoughts and prayers.
Dear Jack:
I've kept up with you through folks like Hugh Green and Pat Anderson.
You remain in my prayers in these days. I am ever grateful for your
witness as a Baptist, your energy for the Gospel, and your deep kindness for all persons.
I am especially glad to have experienced that kindness. You are in my thoughts and prayers.
Bill
Bill J. Leonard
Dean and Professor of Church History
Wake Forest University Divinity School
Winston-Salem, NC 27109
Dear Jack,
Thank you for your email. I have had the privilege of knowing you and working with you and have always appreciated your spirit of humility and concern.
I have from the depth of my heart always appreciated you as being an example of what a man of God should be.
You are in my opinion a gracious man, but now I also count you as one with courage and peace.
And I suppose I know what and who makes this possible in your
life - its because you know the master and your walk with Him. I will pray for you, that God in His providence and power will touch you with His healing hands, for I beleive that if it is His will nothing is impossible. Yet we also know that we must find our peace in the words of our Lord, "Thy will be done" to His glory.
Shalom and joy of the Lord be yours in abundance - to His glory!
My greeting and regards to Anita and the family,
I will look up the blog and be in prayer for you.
Bonny Resu
Dear Jack,
You do not need to respond to this; you have more to do.
You are/have been/will be an inspiration to many of us for your sterling Christian devotion and humble spirit. You have been a model pastor and missionary and denominational leader.
Marney once said that when he got to heaven he was going to have a
cancer cell in his hand and say to God, "Explain this." But Marney was
one of the few brazen enough to do such a thing.
I will remember to pray for you and your family every day as I drive to
my work at Mercer.
God hold you,
Buddy
--
Walter B. Shurden
Executive Director
The Center for Baptist Studies
Mercer University, Macon, GA
478.301.2756
Dear, dear Jack --
Thank you for your message through Cindy Bell.
You know that I love you and Anita very much and appreciate the years that we were able to fellowship with you and grow through your faithful ministry.
I am very sad on one level (and praying all the time for you that this will be easier physically than the predictions).
But I do have joy for you too. As Bob once said to me in the last months of his life: "I don't know much about heaven, but God does, and that's all that matters."
Can't get on the Internet, but I'll get someone to get your messages for me. And Anita, I'm praying much for you, too. I've been there.
Love, Becky (Hight)
Hi.
I met Jack while I was covering the aftermath of the tsunami for CBF.
We only spent a short time together, but I enjoyed that time
immensely.
After having gone through the wringer at the FMB in the mid-90's, meeting people like Jack helped to renew my faith in the idea of foreign missions.
I am deeply saddened to hear of his illness. I wish I had known
about the wedding in January; I would have loved to have been able to make photographs there for Jack and his family.
I don't know what else to say except that I will keep Jack, Anita, and their family in fervent prayer.
I had open heart surgery in December, so I know how life can throw us curve balls. I'm just very sad that Jack's prognosis is what it is.
Please, please give him my very best, and let him and Anita know that if there's anything, anything whatsoever I can do as a friend or as a photographer, I will not hesitate to do it.
May God's Peace be with you-
--
Charles "Stretch" Ledford
STRETCH PHOTOGRAPHY
Stretch@stretchphotography.com
Please share with Jack that I empathize with his situation.
When Don was diagnosed with inoperable cancer, the time left became the most precious imaginable.
After handling our business, we lived on prayer and made every day count. I'm sure it will be the same with him.
Know that my prayers join those of others for Jack and his family.
Fondly,
Doris Littrell
Dear Jack,
We will definitely sign on to see how you are doing. We think about and pray for you often. God answers prayers and we have seen that so many times in the past.
We love you,
Leslie and PJ
Jack, I just now heard the news of your battle with cancer. I am both saddened at realizing the painful path you're walking now and excited for you at the anticipation of being with the Lord! It was a struggle for Paul, it is a struggle for us...to want to be with the Lord but not wanting to leave our lives here. But truly to live is Christ and to die is gain. What powerful words to be able to speak with full conviction of their truth. And what a wonderful thing for you to be able to say that you have run the race and kept the faith. You are finishing well brother and it is a challenge for others of us to follow. Please know that you and your family are in our prayers.
Blessings and peace,
Randy Durham
Jack,
I read your email announcement in the wee hours of this Thursday morning. I was saddened to hear of your cancer. I will be thinking of you, Anita and your family daily and keeping you in my prayers. I am so grateful that I was able to "hook on" with you and Anita again in these past four years or so, when I determined that I would find you through Google and other searches. Reading your annual Christmas messages, and now seeing photos of you and Anita, makes the forty years we have been apart seem to disappear. You are, and always have been, a great inspiration to me. I look forward to following you through your blog, and I appreciate the courage you exhibit in sharing you journey.
Your college and seminary friend,
Joel Hitt
Dear Dr. Snell,
I actually found out about your cancer from my pastor here in Miami, Bill White. (FYI-I work in a church now, got my Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy and am blessed to be serving here at University Baptist Church in Coral Gables). Anyway, I wanted to tell you, as I have after so many of your Christmas Letters each year, of your impact in my life. First of all, my love for missions and participating in that any way that I can. I have been going on mission trips outside of the city I live in since I was 14. And even before that HAB loved on people it didn't necessarily know even since I can remember, and taught the kids to do the same. It was priority for you as the leader of that church and I am forever grateful for that. And I will leave you with one of my most favorite memories...sitting on your couch at your house when I was 8 years old. I think you grown ups were having some kind of party. But in the midst of that, you pulled me into your front room and asked me about Jesus. What did I know, where does he live, etc..and I have not forgotten that because it was what led me to get baptized and challenges me now to ask questions instead of give answers to people. Thank you. I am praying for you and Anita, Stephanie and Henry and Charley! God has used your life to glorify Him and I pray that I am as available as you were to Him for that! Sorry for such a long message, but I wasn't sure if you were checking email too.
Kay Gackle (Kronquist)
kaykron@yahoo.com
Dear Jack,
Judy and I heard about your illness from the classmates and just today found out about your blog. Thank you for sharing this part of your life with us, for taking the time and making the effort to let us know what you're experiencing so we can know specifically how to pray for you. We've found that most of our friends withdraw from contact during trials, isolating us from people we love. Your courage in Christ's strength is an inspiration to us all.
You remind us that every day is precious, and that many of the activities we choose are good, but often not the best. I won't understand, this side of heaven, why some of God's best servants have to go through pain and suffering, but I'm claiming the truth of Romans 8:28.
We're praying that your days will be full, rewarding to you and our Lord, and that you'll be free from pain and able to rest. We're also praying for those you've entrusted with your medical care, that they'll have the wisdom of the Holy Spirit in the directions they choose, and that your witness will bring them closer to Christ.
You're a blessed man and it's obvious you've encouraged and inspired many others. We love you.
Ted & Judy Haney
Jack and Anita... So sorry to hear of your illness. Jack, I know you were not feeling well at the Dec panel we did together in Atlanta. The two of you are very special people to me and please know you are in my prayers.
Love,
Ken Corcoran
Jack - my thoughts and prayers are with you. You and Anita were such a part of my upbringing at Avondale Estates First Baptist. We had some really great times, especially on the bus. Hang in there, buddy and know that we love you. Sonny Miller
Jack, you are ALWAYS an inspiration, no matter what you are doing! You are loved beyond words. I am praying for you all, daily!
Thank you so much for your letter and these updates! I am sending this blog address to the prayer group so they can know how you are.
Everyone is holding all of you up in prayer and God is listening.
You are so special to us. Thank you for all the years of leadership and love. We are still growing in our faith because of the foundation you laid in our lives at HAB. Bless you.
We love you,
Sheryl & Chuck
Dear Jack,
Clista and I continue to pray for you and your entire family. We thank you again for the time we had with you last November while we were in Atlanta.
You and Anita are an inspiration to us all. May God give you the strength that can only be found in Him.
Glen Adkins
First Baptist Church
Greenville, SC
Jack, Merikay and I are simply devastated by this news. I do treasure the time we had together at HAB.
It almost seems trite to say that we will pray for you and Anita, but rest assured that we will. He is still the Great Physician.
God bless you and yours.
Duke and Merikay Presley
Hi, I love you and your family. I enjoy remembering when we were at Avondale Bap. and Anita was having your wonderful children.
My family and I were so proud when you came to HAB. You have blessed our lives through many times. You have shown me the briges to cross into new pathes of my life. You are an angel on earth and have blessed everyone in your life.
My thoughts and prayers are with you and yours. Love always, Sherri
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