Out of Darkness, Light

How a simple package sparked hope- and mission- for this month’s On Fire For Good honoree

“As we work to create light for others, we naturally light our own way.” -Mary Anne Radmacher

During five agonizing months in the hospital, physical pain, emotional anguish and unceasing monotony were constant companions. And yet, one thing I treasured was the sound of the door opening each afternoon with the hospital volunteer delivering mail.

Over those months, I was blessed to receive hundreds of get-well cards, love notes and care packages. Sometimes I’d recognize the sender’s signature, but far more often the note of encouragement would come from someone I had never met. Each note though- whether from a friend or stranger- provided a lifeline to a world outside those four walls, reminding me that someone, somewhere, was thinking of me. It didn’t necessarily change my day, but it reminded me I wasn’t alone.

I thought of that kindness when I read the story of this month’s On Fire For Good honoree.

Phil Zielke was first diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin’s lymphoma at the age of 25. He spent weeks hospitalized and endured agonizing treatment. To mitigate risk of infection, much of this time was spent in total isolation. (While suffering in life is inevitable, enduring it alone leads to hopelessness.)

And that’s when he got a care package with a card signed by perfect strangers saying they were praying for him. Phil couldn’t believe people that didn’t even know him would take the time to reassure someone they’d never met.

This one simple card, from a stranger, transformed his experience from one that could have made him retreat inward to one that fueled a fire for outward service.

From that fire rose Phil’s Friends, a nonprofit dedicated to providing hope, support, and encouragement to people battling cancer.

Through Phil’s Friends, thousands of care packages filled with practical and spiritual items have been hand-assembled and delivered to patients in hospitals and homes across the country. Each package includes a hand-written note, a blanket, a journal, lip balm, a Bible, and perhaps most importantly, each carries a message: You are not alone.

That message, my friends, is everything.

But Phil didn’t stop with care packages. He and his team also provide ongoing encouragement through monthly cards to all care-package recipients, hospital visits and prayer teams. It’s a model of holistic care that addresses the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of those walking through darkness.

With the help of thousands of volunteers over the past 15 years, Phil has returned the favor of that one surprise care package he received to more than 65,000 patients with cancer across the country.

But what inspires me most about Phil isn’t the scale of the organization but the spirit behind it, recognizing that even in the midst of struggle we’ve been blessed with so much and liberated to give so much more.

Today, we celebrate Phil Zielke, not as a survivor, but as a servant. Not for the obstacles he’s faced, but for the way he’s chosen to respond to them.

And not only for reminding us that in the darkest hours we can be a light, but that our light can positively elevate the lives of others.

Today is your day. Live Inspired.