October 14, 2004-Pat's journal

“Somewhere” by Patrick Thompson
(the new brain tumor found) October 14, 2004

One of my favorite songs is, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”. I know that is odd but this song almost more than any seems to always bring me a sense of calmness regardless of the destruction taking place inside me. I believe this place “over the rainbow” is heaven, and that it is the place where I will be found someday by fellow believers. Sometimes I sit in my office late into the night and early into the morning playing this song over and over again.

“Someday I will wake up upon a star where the clouds are far behind me”. I will wake up in the arms of Jesus holding me as he did when Thomas, mom, John and I lost our home and everything we owned. As he did when I was 10 and I found myself face down passed out on the peewee football field, the beginning of my cancer battle. He was there when I was finally old enough to know what the word Cancer meant. He was there on that soccer field at Baylor U. when my leg bones snapped in half at the first hit from the other team. That hit started the the cancer in my jaw to start growing aggressively. He was there the night my Uncle Charlie, my cancer buddy went to be with Him. He has been there through each heartbreak and disappointment in my life, each challenge faced. Every tear HE has wiped away, even now with my current brain tumor. He has been there in each defeat of my life. In defeat we find victory, victory through Jesus.

As I see it (and I’m far from a Bible scholar) the Victory is (regardless of falling and being knocked down and being bruised) eventually getting back up, getting back in. The bruises eventually go away. Sometimes you are left with a scar but doesn’t that make you stronger? Jesus’ body was full of scars and He got back up only to receive three more on His hands and feet that changed mankind.

“Someday I’ll wish upon a star and wake up where the clouds are far behind me”…

Wake up in the arms of Jesus with scars, but completely healed.