It’s easy to think that life will go on the way it always goes on, until you get hit with a truck. In November of 2020, I was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Over the course of several months, I went through 5 rounds of chemo, 1 round of radiation and a bone marrow transplant. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever experienced, but the Lord was faithful. He was a light in the darkness, and he used praying people to help me remember that fact. I am today in remission, and am returning to normal life, but I will never, ever forget the presence of God in a hospital room at Cleveland Clinic. – 2021
Update: Ryan passed away in September 2022, but a month or so before, he wrote this letter to the church body at First:
First Medina, there’s no place like you. Thank you for how well you have loved me and loved my family during my battle with leukemia. So many of you prepared meals for us. So many of you watched our kids so that Michele and I could go up to Cleveland Clinic. So many of you did other things like giving us gift cards, buying (and delivering!) our groceries, cleaning around our home, providing handyman support around the house, sent cards and prayed for us. And you didn’t just do it when I first got sick, you kept doing it for months. The English language doesn’t have a word powerful enough word for giving thanks for that kind of love. Thank you for everything you did. I want to leave you with just a few thoughts: – I’m not here anymore, but praise the Lord I’m very much alive. – Know that the Lord was faithful to me throughout the whole cancer battle. I had many dark times, lots of fear, lots of anxiety. A little anger. The Lord did not leave me. I didn’t really fully grasp what having a relationship with Christ meant on a deep level until I needed that relationship on a daily basis. Cancer does that, forcing you to face who you really are, and what you really believe. Jesus is the savior of the world, but he’s also MY savior, and he was the faithful, kind shepherd who walked with me through all of this. If you don’t know Jesus like that, find someone here at this church who can introduce you. You matter to God. Don’t ignore his call on your life. – This church is an amazing family of believers. You can go to church anywhere you want, but you won’t find a church that loves their brothers and sisters in Christ like this one. – Lastly, I charge you to share the good news of the gospel with everyone around you. Keep praying for that family member who is far from Christ. Keep finding opportunities to talk with your coworkers about Jesus. Keep showing the Medina community love. Keep asking the Lord how you can serve him better. Keep looking for opportunities to grow in Christ. The Simmons family loves you all. This isn’t goodbye. This is see you later. And it’s only see you later because of what Christ did for us on the cross. See you later church family! Your friend and brother in Christ.
– Ryan Simmons
