First, I want to acknowledge all of the outpouring of love, prayers, kindness, giving, and just love of every form that we’ve received as a family, the things that people have done for me, my wife, and my kids during this time has meant more to me than anyone can ever know.
Alissa and I are holding onto our faith.
Our family and friends are the most important things to us, and we have seen the three of those things come together and have felt such tight unity over the past few weeks.
I have been slow to respond to personal messages as I’m in and out of being quite tired and dealing with some discomfort, as you would expect. Thank you for all the patience and my late responses, and please continue to send encouraging messages, prayers, thoughts, or anything else that God puts on your heart to share with me or my family.
I want to share that we are grateful. We feel God in all of this and look forward to growing closer to him through all of this.
Thank you to everyone, and thank you for all the prayers. Praise God.
– Alex Clark
Alex and Alissa, we have been continually praying for you and your beautiful family as you walk this unexpected and unwanted journey. Such a devastating diagnosis, with a long lead-up filled with pain. We are so sorry for all that you are enduring and the accompanying emotional pain as well. Please know that you are lifted so often to our Lord, who is Sovereign in all things and loves you deeply. We are definitely praying for all the next steps—that they will happen in a timely manner and will bring you hope and healing.
Ben and Lindsay were just here this past weekend and we were looking at the scrapbooked pages from your wedding. What a fun day that was! So many wonderful memories from tournaments with Brett (and don’t forget Wilson, who traveled with us!) and Eastern soccer games. We spent the night in the same room in Hoboken, NJ as your parents through their kindness when you guys played Stephens in the NCAA tournament—and even had a 5 AM fire drill! We have lost touch in recent years, but the warm memories have not been lost, nor has our feelings of love for you.
Your strong faith in these moments is inspiring. I have been reading a LOT about faith during hard times as I have been recovering from a life-saving bone marrow transplant in August for a rare cancer diagnosis of myelofibrosis. Your strong faith reminds me of Danny Goeke’s Stay Strong song, with its wonderful words. I played it often in darker days and would commend it to you. I’m sure you are spending time in lament, or if not, please give yourself permission to do so, because Biblical lament is a prayer, a statement of faith. “It is the honest cry of a hurting heart wrestling with the paradox of pain and the promise of God’s goodness.” That’s a huge paradox!! One of my favorite quotes is from Mark Vroegrop’s book, Waiting is Not a Waste, ““Waiting on God is living on what I know to be true about God when I don’t know what’s true about my life.” I hope you will also gain strength and encouragement from a verse I reminded myself of frequently–Deut 31:8; ” The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged”.
Sending much love and continuing in prayer for all of you!
Thank you for this sweet encouragement and memories!