Find the good

Find the Good

Within the last year Chasen and I have become fans of Chip and Joanna Gaines and their HGTV series Fixer Upper. But in all honesty who has not? Their ability to transform old homes into their client’s dreams, while keeping their family values in check is inspiring to many. Plus Chip’s antics and jokes can guarantee a good chuckle or two. As a result of our obsession, I purchased their book The Magnolia Story. After sitting on the shelf for months, I finally had an opportunity to crack it open during our stay at Mercy back in May.  

In the book, Chip and Joanna share the ups and downs of their business and the process of flipping homes. One night in the manic of raising a family and running their business, Joanna realized that she needed to make the switch from survival mode and embrace the crazy life they were living. In other words make the transition to “thrive instead of survive”. This quote has found a way into my heart and mindset over the past few months. Yes, I will admit there are some tough days, where the light at the tunnel seems to not exist and it is a struggle to get through the day. But I have realized that staying under the dark cloud too long blinds one from the joys, happiness, and hope that life can bring. Unfortunately we cannot push rewind on our days, and the weeks pass all too quickly. In switching from surviving to thriving, I have learned to embrace the path God has sent us down and to find the good in every day. Most of the time, the good comes from those around us.

I first met Matthew Burt during his freshman year of college. He was one of my mentees in the Animal Science peer mentor program. Since then, we would run into each other every now and then. I always thought highly of Matthew – probably influenced by the fact that he was a regular at the scheduled mentee-mentor meetings. Later come to find out, it was because I always brought pizza, ha! In all seriousness, over the years I have enjoyed sharing a beer and a conversation with Matthew. Last weekend at the first ISU football game, I thought it was just another beer. But a text from Matthew yesterday proved me wrong. 

Matthew, an avid biker, was gearing up for a 200-mile ride this upcoming weekend. After visiting with our family at the tailgate, he was looking for a way to do some good. Matthew wanted to dedicate his 200-mile ride to Chasen and his battle with cancer, seeking pledges and contributions along the way. Matthew saw it as a way to inspire, encourage and push him to reach his 200-mile goal. 

"Whenever I meet the Stevenson's they ask me how I am doing and how life is on my family farm. It is because of their kindness to me and others that I am so interested in raising money for Chasen's fight. It's not what they have said or done necessarily, but how they have made me feel. I always feel better after seeing them." 

Simply speechless....

Although our cancer journey is just getting started, we have been absolutely humbled by the good graces of family, friends, community members, and even strangers. I have said from the beginning of our cancer journey, God bless small towns and agriculture. These two blessings have provided us one heck of a support network, one that continues to give, continues to push. I cannot imagine going through this journey without one or the other.

When I first told my sister about Matthew’s 200-mile ride, she questioned if that was even physically possible to do in one day. To give some perspective, it is 180 miles from our house to Cascade and a 2.5 hour car ride. To even fathom the energy and perseverance it will take to complete this feat is a struggle. However, I have full faith in Matthew completing this feat. 

As we get closer to Sunday, I hope Matthew’s ride finds a way to inspire you. Whether you send supplies to the areas hit by hurricanes, take your family for a bike ride, or reach out to someone you know is hurting, find a way to do some good. Find a way to help others thrive. We all know that cancer sucks, no doubt about it. However, in trying to find the silver lining, our eyes and our hearts have been exposed to the love, hope, and support of those around us as we continue to fight Chasen’s cancer. And from that perspective, what an amazing blessing we have received.

If you want to follow along on Matthew’s ride, you can find more information on the Facebook event he created by clicking here. Safe travels Matthew and God bless!