Faithful friends who are dear to us gather near to us once more

I was already in a fantastic mood last Thursday: Samantha and JonDavid were in Syracuse visiting my niece and picking up Anthony at the train station; it was the next to the last day of school; the Christmas season was in full swing, we’d gotten a fresh snow; and by the time I went to bed that night, all three kids would be under my roof again.  Thursday also brought my favorite chapel of the year when the Academy students gather by language groups and sing “Silent Night” in their native tongues.  Our chaplain had asked me to play Santa again so I had to hustle in and out of a Santa suit, adding to the craziness and joy of the morning. 

The next period after chapel I was supposed to meet with my seniors but was feeling bad because I had not even had time to get an agenda ready.  I ran down to the auditorium and found it unusually full, when it was only supposed to the senior class and me in there.  When I saw my friend Janyce Smithley and the National Honor Society members on stage I realized she must be announcing the new members which had been selected that week.  I felt bad that JonDavid wasn’t there since I knew he was going to be inducted.  I didn’t have my cellphone with me—since the Santa suit has no pockets. I’d left it lying on my desk, so I ran back down to my room to get it and text JD.  On my way back, Vince (our headmaster) appeared in the hall and motioned me that I was wanted in the auditorium RIGHT AWAY! Amazingly I still didn’t suspect anything, except that probably Janyce was going to pull some kind of stunt about JonDavid being absent and call me up instead.

So it took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out that the whole assembly was for me! Even sitting up on stage, I still didn’t quite get it.  Janyce played a funny video about our Coke vs. Pepsi war (I decorate my room with Coca-Cola paraphernalia and the students love to joke about it and tease me about my aversion to Pepsi, usually with Janyce as the ringleader. I sat up there thinking to myself, “Did Janyce really somehow convince the school to have an assembly as a practical joke?!!” Then the video she was showing turned serious with the students wishing me well and telling me they were praying for me and having nice sentiments to share about me and it finally dawned on me that they were probably going to pray for me because I would have my surgery before we saw each other again.

So by the end of the video message, I was already choked up before they presented me with a great big cardboard check representing the $1411 they had raised by collecting money around the school for me.  The thought of all of those students and colleagues digging into their pockets to help me out is so precious to me.  Everyone left that day with matching blue bracelets that say “Pray for Dr. Nick.”  I was reminded anew that if I had to go through this cancer adventure, I am so glad it happened while I am at the Academy.  I’ve gotten notes of encouragement, little gifts, visits, offers for help, and lots and lots of prayers. They were all even prepared to take turns covering my classes and driving me for radiation treatments, if I’d needed that.

My heart is so full of gratitude.  My route to Houghton Academy was so circuitous and serendipitous (a last minute offer, to teach outside my discipline, at a place I wildly misunderstood and never had any interest in joining, all under very odd circumstances) I realize now that it had to have been a God-thing. He knew this was where I needed to be as I went through this ordeal.  I am deeply grateful to Him and to my Academy family.