How? What words do I use? When? In February of 2020, as my wife and I sat in my Dr’s office and sat stunned as we heard – “Jim, your cancer has metastasized to your bones. You are considered incurable. The average life expectancy is 5 years, but we think with a proper treatment plan and your overall health that we can Kick That Can down the road a little ways”. What? Did I hear what I think I did? I’m only 60, how can that be. Then – “How Do I Tell Them?”. How do I tell those I love. My children. My parents. My family. My friends. How? What words do I use? Will I cry? Will they cry? Believe me, that is not an easy conversation to have. Debbie & I left the Drs office and headed to the car. Once inside we grasped hands and prayed. We prayed that God would take every single bit of our worry and we prayed that as we began making calls that God would give us strength, the right choice of words and the right way to deliver those words. Then we called. Not after we drove home. Not after we had a bite of lunch. Then. In a car. In a Drs office parking lot. First Mom & Dad, then my children, then Debbie’s Mom, then Debbie’s family. Tears? Oh, yes there were tears. Many. But ultimately those tears cleansed. Those tears showed a level of love and commitment from which strength could be drawn. Those tears mingled together and created my “village”. Through the hurt, those tears showed me that love can conquer all. Those tears would be the water for the healing garden that my village would grow. Telling someone “bad news” is never easy. Never. But Debbie and I first invited Jesus to our new world. We knew that not one of us could get through this alone. We needed each other. I needed the strength they could give me. And they needed to love me. Mostly we needed Jesus and His Peace, His love, His comfort. So we made it through. The hurt was real. The pain was real. The comfort from Jesus was powerful and perfect. How do I tell them? That’s how.