"A cheerful heart is good medicine." Prov. 17:22 We saw the truth of this proverb yesterday as Joel rolled into the basement conference room at HCMC and 31 visitors screamed and hollered and cheered - silently! We didn't want to overwhelm him with noise and commotion, so we pantomimed the welcome we would normally have given. Soon the party settled into controlled chaos, however, as small groups visited throughout the room and the projector TV system blared the Super Bowl game and ads continuously. Parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends brought snacks to share and everyone ate their fill (except Joel). Cole drove 250 miles to get there, but he said it was "worth it all." Joel sat in his wheelchair for almost 2 1/2 hours; his smiles blessed the whole crowd. Though his pain increased throughout the evening, he wanted to remain as long as possible. When he returned to his bed, Daniel and a couple of friends went back with him to finish watching the Denver debacle. I can only imagine the misery we would have endured had we been watching that game with only our immediate family!
We traveled home last night, figuring that Joel wouldn't need visitors today but would benefit from recuperation time. When Pete talked to him this afternoon, though, he said he felt fine. The love shown by everyone, and the enjoyable conversation with people who understand him, more than compensated for the tiring effects of the trip downstairs. Happiness heals!
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