The box that touched my heart…
On yesterday afternoon, me and a few men from our church went up to visit Joseph Hyde, youth pastor here at Hope Church. (Meet Joseph by watching this video). Joseph just got back home from several days of hospitalization because of a very serious staff infection in his left foot. In addition to the staff infection, he’s is also fighting his second battle with cancer. That fight coupled with his chemo treatments reduces his own body’s ability to fight of infection and sicknesses.
So around 2pm, shortly after Joseph made it back home from his first dr’s visit since his hospitalization, we sat down with Joseph in his living room and began to talk. Once the conversation ensued, we realized that although we went there to encourage Joseph – he was the one encouraging us.
Joseph never complained about how a simple splinter in his toe could lead to a staff infection so severe that the dr’s only gave him a 60% chance of recovery. He never complained about their initial mis-diagnosis which cost him valuable treatment time that could have reduced the severity of the infection and sped up recovery time. And he never complained about how or why God would allow this to happen to him while he’s already suffering from cancer.
Instead, he talked about how God is sovereign over all things, and he thanked God for the privilege of being trusted with such a test. He expressed his gratitude to God for the things he is learning through his trials. He praised God for His sovereignty over every aspect of his current trials, including God’s providence in not allowing him to have married prematurely or of having children too soon — which would have made this season even more difficult. He praised God for blessing him with parents who are loving, kind, generous and supportive. He thanked God for a loving, God-fearing girlfriend who loves Jesus more than she loves him and who covers him in prayer.
And then, it happened… Joseph reached over to his left and opened the little brown box on the coffee table.
He sat the lid down next to the box and said, “Every night I sit in this chair and I journal my prayers. I pray for friends and relatives to come to know Christ. I pray for mother who would be hurt the worst if something were to happen to me. I pray for God to continue blessing our church, and I pray God’s continued blessing over you, pastor.”
Then Joseph reached his hand inside the box and randomly plucked out a folded up piece of paper, and he said, “Each night as I pray, I write those prayer requests on a piece of paper, and I put ‘em in this box…” And as he unfolded one of those random prayer prayers journals and showed me the paper, I saw a place where it had my name on it.
While we were there to pray for Joseph in the midst of his sickness and trials ~ Joseph has been going before God, every single night, praying for us and for gospel transformation in the lives of others.
Joseph, if you’re reading this – I want you to know that you are a huge encouragement to me, to our community of faith here at Hope Church, and to the Kingdom of God at large. Your faith inspires me. Your fidelity to Jesus in the midst of tough trials is an example to us all. And I want you to know this — there’s now a new little box sitting beside the chair at my place of prayer.
Soli Deo Gloria, Maurice Stargell, pastor
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OMGoodness! I almost can’t type this b/c of my tears. I too am getting a box immediately to put my prayers in. What a powerful, visual way for us to be reminded that our prayers are not forgotten by God… they have not “vanished into thin air” never to be remembered again. Joseph, thank you so much for the incredible beacon of faith thay you have been in my life in the few short months since we met! God is using your life in a powerful way to positively affect mine and so many others.
Thanks pastor for sharing this incredible testimony of faith!
As I read this, tears filled my eyes as I think to myself — would I still praise God, or would I complain?!!!
GOD BLESS YOU JOSEPH!!!
I am literally moved to tears by this blog post. Joseph you are a phenomenal man of God.
I love you Pastor! Thanks for praying for me and being a man of God who preaches the Truth. That very Truth is constantly setting me free to walk in the Light as He is in the Light.
Joseph – I love you too brother! During the entire drive home, all that Virgil, Chris, Owen and I talked about was how much you blessed, encouraged and inspired each of us. Your grasp on God’s great sovereignty is the anchor that keeps your faith rooted and ground in Jesus and His gospel. I’m so proud to having you serving as youth pastor here at Hope Church, and I’m even more blessed & honored to have you as my friend.
Joseph, you are by far the closest resemblance of Christ that I’ve ever witnessed in my life. With a full plate, you continue to pray fervently for others and that inspires me to want to live fuller in God. I am completely moved to tears by this blog post (thanks Pastor Maurice for posting it). I also have my own prayer box and each time God answers my prayers, I write the date the prayer was answered so when things get tough, I’ll always have a reminder of the times when God kept me and those that I pray for. However, if I had to walk in your shoes, I don’t know that I would think to pray for others EACH night. This story is so powerful that it alone will cause a multitude to surrender to God. It’s evident that this level of love can only be inspired by God. You are truly a living example of Godly love. I am praying that God blesses you to have a long and healthy life on earth.
WOW! I have a box and am ready to follow this wonderful example! PRAISE GOD for such a wonderful testament and a wonderful man!
The Amey family now owns a Prayer Box. We all prayed over the Box and submitted our prayers to God by way of the box. The top of our box reads Col. 1:9-14.
JOSEPH, I am so moved by your faith and love of your God and what he has and continues to do in your life. I can only hope that if I found myself confronted with what you have been enduring, that I would have your courage and strength. I am blessed to have been able to know you and I will continue to pray for your strength and recovery. You are an example of the kind of child that God wanted for each of us to be. God Bless your spirit and thank you for your ability to encourage others as you walk your road of tribulations. God has been given the glory because you are an obedient servant. Much love to you!!!!
I am so grateful that we have the pleasure of meeting you. Your faith and your continued smile is the very thing I need to keep me knowing that God is real and his word is alive!Thanks Joseph for showing God’s love through you! To God be the Glory!