The Good News

Happy Holidays to all,

Like us, I am sure you can relate to the hope that lies in the passing of 2020 into a new year, one that has to be better, right? As years go, 2019 would rank as the toughest in my 57 year career as well as for the rest of my family and 2020 will undoubtedly be coming in a close 2nd in the ranks. So, for us, for most of us, 2021 is going to be a better year because we have no where to go but up :-). Who knows maybe like Jacksonville or the NY Jets we could land a number one draft pic and watch our fortunes change in the coming season, ya never know. When God is quarterbacking your team anything is possible.

Our Thanksgiving was sweet as we had the privilege of having Walkers sister, Claire 13 from Missouri, come spend the week with us, an easier house guest there’s never been. We had a fun, small, safe family dinner celebrating the bounty of blessings we have been given in family. And Walker and I got to take Clare to Animal Kingdom especially to experience the amazing Pandora, the Avatar world exhibit. A more exciting ride you can not find than the “Flight of Passage” virtual flight experience in Pandora, it was absolutely amazing and we rode it twice. Since Walker is handicapped and cannot stand waiting in lines, we get the bonus of walking right in to get on every ride, a pretty sweet deal. It was after going with Walker to the Magic Kingdom in late September with 2 tickets gifted to him by his awesome sister Laura that I got to experience the royal treatment he and his guest get when they go to a park that I decided it worthwhile to buy a 3 park Florida resident pass for Walker and myself. We check in get a motorized wheelchair chair and hit the ground running or slowly walking actually but don’t for a minute think that we are actually handicapped in our activities because we do twice as much as everyone else by cutting out the waiting lines. Walker has always been a theme park kid riding roller coaster after roller coaster for hours on end at whatever park we were attending that day. He knows his way around every park and directs the day like a boss, not gonna lie, it’s very exhausting for his Dad but well worth it.

Health wise not much has changed in fact it’s taking a toll on his body not having kidneys and lungs that work. It wears you down and the chemistry of the body is complicated. And getting sick for him is at least 5 times worse than how we would experience a cold or flu or sinus infection or whatever. Through most of October and November Walker has been sick not keeping food down and losing a lot of weight that he had gained back since leaving the hospital last year. He lost about 18lbs or so during these months fighting off a bug that turned out to be C-diff after trying several treatments that didn’t do much. Even while being as sick as he was, we still managed to travel to 4 theme parks wearing our mask and all. Theme parks motivate Walker to get things done and I would ask for your prayers to keep motivating Walker to go after life, he has a lot of work ahead of him. Few travel as difficult a road as he has to walk these days especially as the nerves in his feet are painful needing medication just to walk on them, a complication from the ECMO treatment.

The Good News is that no matter the physical frailties or the COVID inconveniences or the economy or the politics or the protesting, there is still Christmas Day which seems all the sweeter this year. For unto us a child was born whom Shepard’s and Kings alike came to witness him lying in a simple manger, a story whose truth rings through the ages. A child born of God and living as a man raised like you or me with family to love and friends to share. Who lived a blessed life, sinless and pure, who did the work of his Father that sent him for all to see, a witness on a cross hung to die for you and me then raised from death to glorious life everlasting. So, no matter the troubles we face now and in the future, hold tight to the promise that God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son to tear the veil so that we could personally enter the Holy of Holies taking hold of a love that never dies and never leaves us. This is the best Good News ever!

Merry Christmas to you and your families - Love the McKnights