I cant sleep. My heart is heavy for my brother Jered Dworak. In a mens bible study a few months back we were challenged to think of our hero. Our minds automatically shift toward war heros or pioneers, or bible characters. Well, my mind goes to Jered. Let me explain: As the story goes, Jered was my best buddy from the time I started having memories. We have been inseparable from birth and most of my childhood memories not only include Jered, but they would be incomplete without him. He is more than a friend, plain and simple, he is family. We went on vacations together. Many people could have confused him for a McEwen or me for a Dworak. We competed constantly. Basketball, soccer, flag football, baseball, tennis, chess, checkers, war, ping pong, pool, Marco Polo, swimming, diving, diving for keys in his pool, balloon toss, egg toss, Atari, etc... My kids often wonder why Im so competitive at every game we play, because for some reason I cant even let my 8 year old win... Ugh! Thanks Jered!! I hardly have a sports memory that doesnt include him. Our hatred of losing made us great teammates. Our basketball memories are my favorite. From YMCA, to 3 on 3 Hoop it Up, to competing for state championships and even one on one in our barn or rag ball in their dining room, we just couldnt get enough. To this day, I believe Jered is the best passing point guard in LCS history. He always knew where I was and I often times knew what he was thinking. He made everyone on the team better. Ive never known him to be anything but confident, cocky may have been a more accurate term at times. I know this may be hard to believe, but he was a lippy sucker... He loved to challenge others and never once went into a battle thinking he was the underdog. There were a few times that I remember fending off much bigger boys that wanted to pound Jered into the ground because they just could believe that they lost to that little crooked kid (I hate saying that, but we heard that a lot). It is amazing how mean kids can be, but He was never phased by it and in fact he wore it as a with pride. Jered was born with scoliosis, but I would have never known. He never complained or acted differently or sought compassion for the severe curvature of his spine or the pain that resulted from it. It likely stunted his growth, but he wore his 53 frame as if he was 66. He was the one guy on the basketball team that put his actual height on the roster. We all wanted to appear taller, but he wanted people to know exactly who and how big (or not so big) the kid was that was going to kick their butt! Side note - if scoliosis wasnt enough, HE ONLY HAS ONE KIDNEY! I give that background to state that Jered and I just get each other. There are very few people as lucky as I am to have had a friend that was so influential in shaping me. We were baptized together as children, we have prayed together, competed, laughed, cried, experienced loss together, made tons of dumb decisions together. Weve shared almost everything for the majority of our lives. That said, Ive never been able to fully grasp the pain that he experiences on a daily basis. I remember visiting him in the hospital, it must have been 1st or 2nd grade and he had been put in a body cast for about 6 months. He still played sports in that cast... Toughness doesnt even begin to describe it. He never publicly showed weakness or pain that I can remember. For decades, he has hidden the pain. He bears the burden, usually unwilling to display weakness and never placing that burden on others. Ive had the rare privilege of those quiet moments after games or in the hospital room or during late night chats to see him in his most vulnerable state. If it were me, I would embrace that crutch and seek others sympathy. I dont think there is any way I can put myself in his shoes. Crutch isnt a word that is in his vocabulary. So Jered, your fingerprint is all over my life. I am proud of your efforts as a husband and father amid the trials and failures and successes and accomplishments. You give God the glory, seek to protect your wife and kids, and rightfully covet the prayers of those who love the Lord Jesus Christ and love you. The anticipation of being free of pain must be daunting. How does one live without one of the things that has both outwardly defined much of your life and inwardly caused so much grief and suffering? Well that answer is plastered all over your life. You continue to give God the glory and depend on His grace and mercy when you dont have the strength to make it through another moment. I love you and my family loves yours. You have an army of people praying for you which means Im not alone, and neither are you! Im praying that God helps you beat this pain! I have to imagine that the 12 hours of anesthesia will give you the best rest youve had in decades! Embrace the challenge and beat the odds. I know Im not betting against you! Much love and many prayers for you, for Libby Dworak, Meghan, Alex, Big Guns, Cooper and Ryder! Were not forgetting Scott and Kathy Dworak either.
Posted on: Wed, 14 Jan 2015 05:55:14 +0000
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