Rankin119web

Where Two
or More are
Gathered
Leigh Ramsey
Five people sat at a kitchen table taking
notes and sharing a vision. Above them hung
a sign painted with one single word, “Gather.”
Looking back, it was the perfect picture of
what would soon take place. Over the next
few weeks many would gather for a common
purpose, to honor and bless a family that is
dearly loved.
Friends, family, church members, and
co-workers acquainted with the Miley family
had been lifting them in prayer for seven
years. Their oldest son, Harrison, was
diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in 2012, at
just 15 years old. Throughout those years,
a question weighed on everyone’s heart;
“What can we do?” We all knew to pray,
but still a yearning remained to do something
tangible that would minister to the
Miley family.
“God, you know this family and how we
can bless them. Inspire an idea of how we
can support them during this tough time.”
I believe this prayer, or one similar, was
on the hearts of many as we watched this
beloved family receive the news that their
son’s cancer, that had once been in remission,
had returned. After a short stay at St. Jude in
early June of 2018, doctors determined that
this cancer was aggressive, and they could do
nothing more than slow its growth.
Charla Miley, the mother of Harrison,
works at a shop where she has a space set
aside for ministry and encouragement.
Photos of her grandmothers sit in frames on
opposite ends of the room. When conducting
a tour of the space, Charla explained that
she has great memories of sitting on the
porch with her grandmothers. Mrs. Miley
went on to explain how pleasing the porch
was to her senses—the sights, sounds, and
smells. She gave the impression that time on
the porch, for her, was very therapeutic. Her
space at the shop is meant to mimic that
atmosphere for others.
That tour was the inspiration for a
project that would take place over a twomonth
timespan. The prayer request of
how to bless the family was answered with
reminders of Charla’s love of porches,
community, and family. The question was
raised, “Can we build this family a sanctuary
in their own back yard?” The first step was
to get permission from Darren Miley, a pastor
at Pinelake Church, and father to Harrison,
to make alterations to his deck. His answer
was a repeated, “Thank you, thank you.”
As the five people sat at the table
discussing the possibility of taking on the
project, everyone agreed that this could
be done. From a personal perspective,
I envisioned a quick project, where a few
talented contractors would place posts
around the existing deck, add some sort of
roof, and encompass the porch with a screen
for protection from mosquitoes. However,
I’ve seen it play out this way time and time
Hometown Rankin • 85