This morning I logged onto Facebook and discovered that a college classmate has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and she was asking that we pray for her and pass it along so more people could do so - the more prayers the better, right?
Katie wasn't my best friend in college; she wasn't a roommate or even a teammate. But she was active in athletics so I saw her in the locker room and sat with her in the cafeteria. We had many mutual friends and she was always active in school clubs, programs, etc. There were plenty of opporunities for me to get to know her. In the time since college, she has moved back to Galesburg, staying closely connected to Knox. Every year at Homecoming she extends the invitation to her classmates, her friends...me, to come and stay at her house, have dinner, etc.
The point is, even though 10 years ago I knew her and liked her, we - like most of my classmates - have lost touch. Without the 'modern miracle' of social networking via Facebook, I probably would not have heard from her about her diagnosis. Unless she wrote about it in the class update section of Knox Magazine...which she probably won't.
I'm happy to know. Despite the scary "c-word", I'm glad that she can call on the support of friends (even if they are friends from another time in her life) to help her in the present. Sometimes it's comforting to know that you aren't alone, that people are cheering for you, and that is what gets you through the tough times. No matter how she asks, I would offer that support without question. So, in that sense, I'm thankful for Facebook.
I go back and forth about how useful social networking is for me. This is one circumstance where I feel like the pros outweigh the cons. Please join me in praying for Katie and Cory's (her husband, also a classmate) strength and faith during these trying times.
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