One Billion Dollars

WordPress bloganuary prompt for today: If I had one billion dollars, how would I spend it?

I can think of a few things for myself that I would want: a good ski boat that my husband doesn’t have to fight with to make work every summer, a bunch of house upgrades, a hot tub, newer cars, money set aside for regular vacations and possibly a cabin on a lake somewhere nearby. Those would all be enjoyable although I’m not sure if I would indulge in all of them. Almost all of them to me represent a more enjoyable or nicer way to enjoy time with the people I love around me. But more than anything, there are a few needs I see because of what I’ve experienced that I would work to help with. 

In 2014 my son Judah was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor and needed radiation and chemo for a little over a month. At the time, I had seven other children with the youngest being a nursing one-year-old. We also lived in a rural community four hours away from the hospital with the best resources. Was I supposed to leave my family four hours away at home and be gone for over a month for his treatment? Or have his treatments done a little over an hour away in a closer hospital not used to treating children? There I would have to travel over an hour each way every day for his treatments and still be gone most of the day every day. 

Thankfully, God provided a house for us to live in through a builder that was related to someone we knew who was going to tear down this house in a couple of months. He let us live there for just the cost of utilities and we all moved four hours away together during Judah’s treatment. My husband worked from home so this really didn’t disrupt our lives as much as it could have. If I had a billion dollars, I would love to have large houses purchased near children’s hospitals where families could live while their kids are experiencing extended treatment or hospitalizations.

Another area of need that I’ve experienced is child loss support. Judah passed away in 2016. We have been blessed to be able to experience a couple bereavement retreats, but the organization that has been the most helpful for us is “While We’re Waiting.” They have support groups and retreats around the country. Until recently there weren’t any retreats anywhere near our area and with our family, traveling to a retreat far away wasn’t possible. Then I was able to attend a retreat eight hours away. It was such a wonderful, healing experience but still difficult to travel that far.

If I had a billion dollars, I would buy a place for retreats in our area. It would be private and on a lake or pond. It might include a barn with horses. Recently I have organized a location for a retreat in my area with While We’re Waiting but finding a location with the right facilities has been difficult. It would be so wonderful and healing to have a place dedicated for child loss support where people could come and heal from the pain and trauma they have experienced. I would also donate money to their fund which allows these retreats to remain free for participants.

Though there are practically unlimited organizations that could use funds, I think I would reach out to touch people who have experienced the same difficulties I have been through. I would be glad to find purpose in the pain I’ve experienced by helping others who experience those same trials. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that I will ever have a large chunk of money to impact people in these ways so I do what I can through leading a local support group and organizing a retreat with the means that are available. I am thankful for God’s provision, even without that one billion dollars.