It was more than just another graduation for us. It held even deeper meaning, gratitude, and a sense of wonder at God’s faithfulness and the power of perseverance.

Last July, the day before he turned 21, Jordan was diagnosed with Stage 4 sinus cancer.  Can one ever be prepared for such traumatic news?  He had just returned from a life-changing, powerful time in Tanzania, Africa where, as Jordan describes it, he felt more alive than ever before.  Then this news, a death threat, with decisions, changes, questions, answers, more questions, and a dogged determination to make it through.

Surgeries gave way to treatments, sleepless nights, thousands of prayers, texts of hope, hours of research, moments of fear with an abiding faith that our God, the one who loves further and farther and deeper and wider than any of us can imagine, was still in control and loves to do miracles.

Jordan never flinched and never complained, amidst 71 rounds of radiation, 8 rounds of chemo.  He was confident in an outcome that December 22 would confirm –cancer-free, and May 5 would commemorate — 16 years of education WELL DONE!

I have been so deeply moved and inspired by watching Jordan throughout the last 10 months and especially this weekend. Not only was he awarded the “Overcomer Award” for the University, he also won “Outstanding Senior Paper” (never mind that his computer was stolen halfway through and half the written paper was lost!)

One particularly line of his, “I spent four months in bed, but have a lifetime ahead,” seems to capture the spirit of his outlook.  He honors his parents, treasures his friends, loves his brothers, and lives boldly, fully alive for God.

Dr. Steve Greene, presenting Jordan the "Overcomer Award."

Dr. Steve Greene, Dean of the ORU School of Business, was one of our closest advisors and advocates for Jordan this past year. He often texted during the tough months, one simple phrase, “Jordan graduates in May.”  Dr. Greene’s faith like a lifeline, helped push us to the finish line.

How rich the joy, how worth the fight.  Jordan graduated in May.

For the last three years there has been one spot along our path where the monkey grass keeps dying.  There are many others thriving within inches of this spot but for some reason, whatever is planted here keeps dying.

So this spring it’s time for a new strategy.  Rather than putting money in the ground only to have it die, I decided to dig deeper and get to the root of what’s going on underground.  I’m eager to see if this will yield to lasting growth in this spot.

Isn’t life so similar?  We often find certain areas in our souls and behavior that keep producing negative results.  Maybe we overreact, are mean or impolite, jump to wrong conclusions, or go through the same heartaches over and over again.  When this happens, I’ve learned that often it’s not what’s visible that needs help, but the ground underneath.  Deeper issues of my own soul tend to rear their ugly heads and I need to go deeper to get to the root cause.

There’s no reason to be embarrassed or ashamed of taking the time to get our ground in order.  It’s beautiful growth we’re after, in the garden and in life!