First, thank you to Mrs.

First, thank you to Mrs. Mary Ann Hall for sending me John 9:1–5 this morning. I don’t believe it was by accident. I believe God knew exactly what I needed after the night we had.

Last night was one of those nights that leaves you completely empty.

We still don’t know if Will’s agitation is from ICU delirium, the heavy sedation medications, or progression of his disease. Watching your child fight to pull off his breathing mask, his IVs, and everything attached to him while you stand there completely helpless…there are no words for it. Your mind races to the worst places while your heart is begging God to let it be anything but cancer.

As his mom, I want answers, certainty, and someone to tell me exactly why this is happening and exactly how it ends. God doesn’t do that.

Instead…we pray.

I can’t describe what it’s like to have a front row seat to your child suffering. You would trade places a thousand times over if you could. Every parent would.

This morning I read where the disciples asked Jesus about the blind man.

“Who sinned? This man or his parents?”

They wanted someone to blame.They wanted the “why.” and if I’m honest…so do I.

Why our Will?

Why does a fifteen-year-old who loves Jesus so deeply have to endure this? Why do children get cancer? Why does any family have to walk through hell like this?

Then Jesus answered in scripture….

“Neither…but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”

That verse is exactly what unneeded reminding of this morning.

Not because it answered all my questions…But because it reminded me that God can use what is broken to reveal Himself.

I don’t believe God gave Will cancer. We live in a broken world where disease, suffering, and death exist. But I do believe our God is so powerful that He refuses to let brokenness be wasted.

Then I started thinking about these last eighteen months and the miracles and blessing that have been poured upon our family…..

Because of Will…

People all over the world have stopped to pray.

Thousands of people who have never met him know his name.

Complete strangers have become lifelong friends.

Doctors from different hospitals and different states have come together because they believe in him.

Nurses have cried with us, prayed over us, laughed with us, and loved our family like we were their own.

People have opened their homes, cooked meals, sent gifts, given financially, flown across the country just to hug us, and carried us when we couldn’t stand on our own.

We’ve watched people return to church.

We’ve received messages from people who said they started reading their Bible again because of Will.

Others have told us they gave their lives to Christ after following his story.

Families have reconciled.

People have chosen forgiveness.

People battling their own impossible situations have found hope because they watched a fifteen-year-old refuse to quit talking about Jesus.

None of those things happened because of us. They happened because God’s light has continued to shine through Will.

If I had a choice, I would choose my child every single time. There isn’t a person on this earth I would willingly sacrifice if it meant Will didn’t have to walk this road.

Then I realized…

God did what I never could. He had the front row seat. He watched His own Son suffer so that every one of us could have the opportunity to be saved.

When I feel like no one could possibly understand the agony of watching your child suffer…God already does.

That doesn’t remove my pain.

It doesn’t stop my tears. It doesn’t make me want this journey, but it reminds me that the Father I’m crying out to knows exactly what it feels like to watch His Son suffer.

So maybe today, instead of asking only “Why?”…maybe we should also ask…

“God, how are You going to use this for Your glory?”

If I’ve learned anything through Will’s life, it’s this…God’s light shines the brightest in the darkest places.

Will’s story has never just been about cancer.It’s always been about Jesus and no matter what tomorrow holds, that will always be the greatest miracle we’ve witnessed.

From Brittney Battles Roberts