Walking With Mr.Kenny
The Goals Of Encouragement
By Terrence Clark
Mr. Kenny (Kenneth Brown) is an encourager, to say the least. He has a gallant stride, hands, and arms swinging back and forth, walking his six-miles around the asphalt path, of the park where I pray. He passes person after person, pauses his own meditation, to give an exhortation to those making their way.
Jackie (not her real name) is heavier than the health guideline for women. She walks pushing herself. Her demeanor dings somewhere between got to and what for. “You can do it, girl. Come on keep it up. I’m proud of you,” says Mr. Kenny. As she approaches, he stops for a moment. He continues his coaching, as if he is her personal trainer, repeating his words again. He’ll do the same to next person---stranger or not as if it’s his duty, adjusting his words to fit the client. Always highlighting, “I’m proud of you.” “Man I was 255 pounds in December,” he said. His recent check up marked him at 235 (His weight-loss journey started at 310). The doctor said for him to keep doing it whatever he had been doing, advising to cut from six miles to three. His double knee replacement bothers him from time to time. “I listened,” said Mr. Kenny. Today we shared the fourth mile together. He and his wife just moved into a new place a house, an upgrade from the apartment. It was a blessing from a friend and just in time. He raised his children, but now in his middle-years, he and his wife have acquired the responsibility of some of his grandchildren, six to be exact. A wayward daughter left them. He and his wife are in it again---mouths to feed, bodies to clothe, lives to cover, and futures to steer. |
“And they’ll eat before I do,” he told me last week, as we walked a mile together, a smile on his face, with the utmost compassion. I could sense the love for his grandchildren and their mother children. We prayed for his family.
Today he told me. “I have a sister in North Carolina. She’s a pastor. She had leukemia. I donated stem cells to her.”
He spent 6 months at her bedside, sleeping sometimes at the hospital, rarely leaving her side. Before testing, by intuition, they knew they were a match. They were that close. “You’re going to get a beard just like me,” jested the hairy faced sib.
“Well, I hope it's white like yours,” she laughed back. And the tests were positive---O+.
There’s a week of prepping a donor must endure before the transfusion can take place. Daily shots of filgrastim are injected to stimulate the stem cells in the blood for extraction. Mr. Kenny said one of the injections caused him severe headaches. He wasn’t allowed to take any medicine. All he could do was lay in the bed, windows shut, and the curtain drawn, no sound no light---a pillow over his head, trying to find resolution through the pounding. His sister to this day knows nothing of it.
Today was the rest of the story. I had thought his determined stroll on the path was for his health. Thinking perspiration will speed the goal, he dresses in layers so he can sweat more. An error in his sister’s aftercare resulted in her losing one of her kidneys. It is known that her brother is a match. And, he is more than willing. His sweat carries the expression of blood and not water only, before he can give, to his sister, his body weight must be around 195.
He smiled. “I got to do it. It’s for her.”
Today he told me. “I have a sister in North Carolina. She’s a pastor. She had leukemia. I donated stem cells to her.”
He spent 6 months at her bedside, sleeping sometimes at the hospital, rarely leaving her side. Before testing, by intuition, they knew they were a match. They were that close. “You’re going to get a beard just like me,” jested the hairy faced sib.
“Well, I hope it's white like yours,” she laughed back. And the tests were positive---O+.
There’s a week of prepping a donor must endure before the transfusion can take place. Daily shots of filgrastim are injected to stimulate the stem cells in the blood for extraction. Mr. Kenny said one of the injections caused him severe headaches. He wasn’t allowed to take any medicine. All he could do was lay in the bed, windows shut, and the curtain drawn, no sound no light---a pillow over his head, trying to find resolution through the pounding. His sister to this day knows nothing of it.
Today was the rest of the story. I had thought his determined stroll on the path was for his health. Thinking perspiration will speed the goal, he dresses in layers so he can sweat more. An error in his sister’s aftercare resulted in her losing one of her kidneys. It is known that her brother is a match. And, he is more than willing. His sweat carries the expression of blood and not water only, before he can give, to his sister, his body weight must be around 195.
He smiled. “I got to do it. It’s for her.”
It didn’t take much for a writer and preacher like me to see the living sermon. “There a message in that,” I pointed out at Mr. Kenny. “That’s the gospel message.”
The blood of humanity—yours and mine was infected by sin. The diagnosis was death on every level. We needed a blood transfusion to cleanse us from all the unrighteousness that eternally separated us from the Holy God---the source and giver of life.
God stayed at our side never leaving us—sending prophets and teachers---giving mankind a hope and a future. God so loved the world he gave and sent his only begotten son Jesus. Jesus was the only perfect match.
It took 4000 years to get the donor on earth. The condition--- you have to be a man to pay the price. You had to be a God to rise again. He was both. Jesus went through the prep 33 years hospitality stay at our side, 1 week of prep before the cross, an evening of pounding agony in the garden---on his face in prayer.
There was a night of trial, before men (the Jews, Herod, Rome) that falsely judged him, but accurately positioned him. He was beaten mercilessly. The stem cells of the root of David, the son of Adam were excited, they dripped from his body from Pilates court to Golgotha’s cross.
Then the transfusion, they nailed him in place to the wooden beams. Mr. Kenny said during the transfusion, he laid on the bed, watching his own blood flow out of his body, releasing what would be his sister’s life, and then flow back into his body, through the other arm. Jesus’ blood flowed out of him releasing the Fathers life. It didn’t return him after it was donated.
More than a metaphor Jesus the root and stem of King David (Isaiah 53:1-5) gave not only his T-cells (T for Cross) but all of it. The scripture says the eternal life of God was in his blood. It was offered upon the altar of heaven and flowed to his body in heaven and on earth.
Saying, this is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. 21) Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. 22) And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. Hebrews 9:20-22
Mr. Kenny’s sister is healed of Leukemia. If the disease tried to return, there has already been enough stem cells released and in store. The blood of Jesus is the remission of sin. Its cure is eternal and once and for all. Presently, Mr. Kenny, the encourager is preparing to give one of his kidneys. He’s not prideful. He just loves his sister.
Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:1-3)
I agreed with Mr. Kenny today, as his journey for himself, his family, and sister takes him to his desired goal and weight. He’s laying aside the weight---reminding of Hebrews 12:1.
We believe one step further. This is where Jesus has met Mr. Kenny walking on the path, having already carried the disease troubling his sister. With his stripes, she is healed. Encouragingly, Mr. Kenny will reach his goal. In fact, it’s already done, despite the scales.
Come on Mr. Kenny. You can do it---by God’s grace. Heaven is rooting for you.
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us,and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2) looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3) For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls (Hebrews 12:1-3NKJV)
The blood of humanity—yours and mine was infected by sin. The diagnosis was death on every level. We needed a blood transfusion to cleanse us from all the unrighteousness that eternally separated us from the Holy God---the source and giver of life.
God stayed at our side never leaving us—sending prophets and teachers---giving mankind a hope and a future. God so loved the world he gave and sent his only begotten son Jesus. Jesus was the only perfect match.
It took 4000 years to get the donor on earth. The condition--- you have to be a man to pay the price. You had to be a God to rise again. He was both. Jesus went through the prep 33 years hospitality stay at our side, 1 week of prep before the cross, an evening of pounding agony in the garden---on his face in prayer.
There was a night of trial, before men (the Jews, Herod, Rome) that falsely judged him, but accurately positioned him. He was beaten mercilessly. The stem cells of the root of David, the son of Adam were excited, they dripped from his body from Pilates court to Golgotha’s cross.
Then the transfusion, they nailed him in place to the wooden beams. Mr. Kenny said during the transfusion, he laid on the bed, watching his own blood flow out of his body, releasing what would be his sister’s life, and then flow back into his body, through the other arm. Jesus’ blood flowed out of him releasing the Fathers life. It didn’t return him after it was donated.
More than a metaphor Jesus the root and stem of King David (Isaiah 53:1-5) gave not only his T-cells (T for Cross) but all of it. The scripture says the eternal life of God was in his blood. It was offered upon the altar of heaven and flowed to his body in heaven and on earth.
Saying, this is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. 21) Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. 22) And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. Hebrews 9:20-22
Mr. Kenny’s sister is healed of Leukemia. If the disease tried to return, there has already been enough stem cells released and in store. The blood of Jesus is the remission of sin. Its cure is eternal and once and for all. Presently, Mr. Kenny, the encourager is preparing to give one of his kidneys. He’s not prideful. He just loves his sister.
Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:1-3)
I agreed with Mr. Kenny today, as his journey for himself, his family, and sister takes him to his desired goal and weight. He’s laying aside the weight---reminding of Hebrews 12:1.
We believe one step further. This is where Jesus has met Mr. Kenny walking on the path, having already carried the disease troubling his sister. With his stripes, she is healed. Encouragingly, Mr. Kenny will reach his goal. In fact, it’s already done, despite the scales.
Come on Mr. Kenny. You can do it---by God’s grace. Heaven is rooting for you.
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us,and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2) looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3) For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls (Hebrews 12:1-3NKJV)