PEOPLE JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND

    HELLO GOD! 

                  

 EARTH TO HEAVEN

  

 ANYBODY HOME?

 OH YOU ARE HOME!

 I THOUGHT MAYBE NO ONE WAS HOME!

DID YOU KNOW I HAVE ALS

OH YOU DO KNOW!

WELL,

I THOUGHT YOU WOULD HELP ME OUT 

AND

TOUCH EVERYBODY'S HEART

AND
LET THEM KNOW I WILL BE OK!

EVERYONE IS WORRIED ABOUT ME

AND

THEY NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ALS.

THIS IS MY HOME!

NFC IS MY JOB!

THESE ARE MY STEPS!

I CANNOT CHANGE IN 4 WEEKS!

IF THEY WERE GIVEN A TIME LEFT TO LIVE 

HOW WOULD THEY HANDLE IT?

I CONTEND THEY WOULD FIGHT HARD TO KEEP THEIR LIFE THE WAY IT IS?

YOU DON'T THROW THINGS OUT IMMEDIATELY!

YOU DON'T KEEP EVERYTHING STRAIGHT?

WITH ALS YOU LOSE YOUR FUNCTIONING FAST OR SLOW

MAYBE NOT FOR A LONG TIME?

MAYBE VERY FAST?

MY FAMILY,

MY FRIENDS,

 MY CHURCH, 

MY MINISTER

 ALL HAVE DECIDED WHAT I SHOULD DO RIGHT NOW!

WHAT HAPPENED WITH 

 WAIT ON THE LORD 

AND 

HE WILL SHOW YOU THE WAY!

EVERYONE THAT WANTS ME TO TURN OVER 

NEIGHBORHOOD FRIENDS CARE 

AND

 LET MY FAMILY  TAKE OF CARE ME

HAVE THEY ASKED ME WHAT I WANT 

OR 

  

WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO ME. 

WHAT IF I WAS A CEO OF A COMPANY

WOULD EVERYONE ANNOUNCE AT A BOARD MEETING 

THAT HE WAS INCOMPETENT

AND 

  TO STEP DOWN IMMEDIATELY!

HE IS NOT INCOMPETENT

 PERHAPS THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

WAS DIAGNOSED WITH ALS

WOULD YOU SAY QUIT AND GO LIVE

WITH YOUR FAMILY. 

 YOU NEED TO ALLOW THEM TO TAKE CARE OF YOU.

WHAT IF A MINISTER OF A CHURCH WAS GIVEN A DIAGNOSIS OF ALS

WOULD EVERYONE SAY 

IF YOU DON'T RESIGN 

WE WILL QUIT THE CHURCH!

WHAT IF PEOPLE SAID BEHIND HIS BACK 

  THAT HE WAS INCOMPETENT

IF HE JUST NEEDED TO REGROUP

 

AND WAIT TO GET EVALUATED 

SO HE COULD GET SOME ASSISTED LIVING DEVICES.

HELLO OUT THERE

ANYONE WITH ALS BEEN A PUBLIC SPEAKER

AND STILL CONTINUES TO BE A PUBLIC SPEAKER WITH ALS.

LORD 

  WHY DO YOU WANT ME TO ACCEPT EVERYTHING
RIGHT A WAY

AND CHANGE MY WAYS
OR
PEOPLE WILL QUIT HELPING ME OR MAKE ME RESPONSIBLE 

FOR SUCCESS OR FAILURE 

OF 

MY LIFE

 MY APARTMENT

NEIGHBORHOOD FRIENDS CARE.

LORD I GAVE UP DRIVING AND

DID NOT COMPLAIN!

MY HEART HAS BEEN WITH NFC

SINCE 2005

NO ONE ASKS ME,
HOW I WANT TO HANDLE IT?

THEY JUST TELL ME
PEOPLE TELL THEM

  

THEY WILL QUIT OR IT WILL FAIL! 

  

IF I DON'T STOP WHAT I AM DOING!

IF I WAS THE MINISTER OR CEO OR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

WOULD THEY SAY THE SAME THING.

 EVERYONE WITH ALS IS THAT WHAT PEOPLE TOLD YOU?

IS THAT WHAT I NEED TO DO?

GET RID OF MY STUFF,

 MY CLOTHES,

 MY SHOES,

  

 MY BOOKS

 MY JUNK

 MAKE IMMEDIATE DECISIONS, YESTERDAY

I DO NOT HAVE AN APPOINTMENT FOR 

ASSISTIVE DEVICES TILL 

THE SECOND WEEK IN OCTOBER

I AM STRUGGLING WITH WHO I AM,

  WHO OR WHAT

I WILL BECOME.

 WHEN MY SON WAS HURT 

  I SAID 

LORD

 HELP ME LOVE WHAT IS LEFT.

 NO MATTER WHAT CONDITION

PEOPLE ARE AFRAID OF THIS DISEASE

AND KNOW IT IS BAD? 

 BUT REALLY PUBLICLY

TELLING PEOPLE I SHOULD QUIT 

AND 

NOT GIVE WHAT I HAVE TO GIVE.

I HAVE HEARD SO MANY STORIES

  

 DOES ANYONE TAKE THE TIME TO ASK ME WHAT I WANT TO DO WITH 

  

 MY JOB!

 HELP ME FIGURE OUT WHAT I CAN DO?

  

 I WILL GO TO A SYMPOSIUM ON ALS THIS WEEK-END

   ON ALS

I HOPE TO ASK THEM WHAT THEY HAVE DONE.

 GOD, 

  

 I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWERS BUT YOU DO?

 HELP ME TO STOP THIS PAIN WITHOUT DYING WHILE I AM ALIVE.

SOME PEOPLE GET IT AND SOME DON'T GET IT.

  

 LORD HELP ALL OF US!

 THIS IS DIFFICULT TO SEE YOUR LOVED ONE FACE SUCH A CHALLENGE

  

BUT IT IS 

 JUST AS DIFFICULT

TO ACCEPT IT AND KNOW WHAT TO DO MYSELF.

 GOD HEAL OUR PAIN,

SO WE DON'T HURT ONE ANOTHER

THIS IS SO PAINFUL FOR EVERYONE

 AND IT SAPS EVERYONE'S STRENGTH

I AM GOING TO VISIT MY BROTHER, 

JOHN IN ENGLAND

HELP IT TO BE EASY TO DEAL WITH ME AND MY CONDITION 

HELP ME NOT TO SCARE OR FRIGHTEN MY FAMILY OR FRIENDS!

I DON'T LIKE TO BE THE OBJECT OF EVERYONE'S CONCERN

 I AM STILL A MOTHER, SISTER FRIEND

 AND I HAVE FEELINGS ABOUT THINGS

IN FACT EXTREME FEELINGS ABOUT THINGS.