Leah Joyce: The strong soldier named Sarah

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “they are plans for good, and not for disaster, to give you a future and hope.”

Sarah Taylor, a 14-year-old freshman at Hauser Jr./Sr. High, has recently been battling cancer. Before Sarah’s battle with cancer, Sarah was extremely involved in the Hauser community and positively impacted the lives of others. Sarah has been able to influence people through her participation through Student Council and FFA.

One of the first encounters I had with Sarah was during Halloween and she was dressed in a green turtleneck and inside a large Amazon box. Sarah’s outfit was nothing like I had ever seen before, and she was extremely happy wearing it. Her smile was (and still is) extremely contagious. When I asked Sarah for her inspiration for her outfit, she responded with, “I’m sending everyone positivity and encouragement today.”

She spent the rest of her day spreading kindness around like it was confetti. Sarah is the most kindhearted, selfless, and most dear person I have had the honor of knowing. She never fails to lighten the mood or make the room light up with her smile. It breaks my heart to know Sarah has to battle cancer, but I know it’s not a fight she takes alone.

The Hope community has done a tremendous job of being there for her and the rest of the Taylor family. Everything from prayer circles, to donations, dinners, bracelets/clothes, games, and more. The Hope FFA Chapter had an amazing turnout for the Sarah Strong dinner. People lined up at the doors half an hour early and sold out of everything completely.

Aside from school activities, Sarah is a humble soldier to her faith, and she continues to grow in Christ. She has even displayed her favorite Bible verse, Jeremiah 29:11, as a part of her battle. As a follower of Christ, I wonder how God could do this to her and her loved ones. But, I believe God saw a deeper meaning to Sarah. I believe in some way, he is not only bringing people together, but to Him. An example I found is in Isaiah 52:13 to 53:1-12. Isaiah states, “My Servant Shall Prosper-The Suffering Leads to Glory.” God has a plan with Sarah, where she will continue to prosper and grow in faith.

To write this for Sarah, I have asked around the community and everyone always has extremely positive words to say about her. She is an extremely positive person, and she never fails to put a smile on anyone’s face. Sarah is an adventurous, young girl, who is open to new ideas and things. When I last spoke to Sarah, she said:

“One time, when I was a little kid, I dipped my green beans in Kool-Aid, and it wasn’t bad at all.”

Her favorite movies can range, but when it comes down to it, nothing can beat Disney films or the Harry Potter series. She loves pastel colors and is always in the mood for popcorn, a smoothie, or French fries, (but not together like the Kool-Aid and green beans!). As Sarah continues her battle with cancer, she would like to thank her family, friends, and her community for their continuous support.

“It’s definitely encouraged me to be positive. And, it’s helping my family not have to worry about the money all the time, so that my mom can be with me full-time during treatment, and my dad can come be with us when we need him to. Just knowing that so many people are praying for us can bring me peace and joy, and it makes me feel so loved.”

And, with this, I hope to send everyone positivity and encouragement today as we face uncertain times together. Together have hope and a future. God has not forsaken us, and I know the community will continue to prosper and flourish. Everyone has their own struggles and problems, but our attitudes to the situation shape our outcome. Thankfully, Sarah has the most positive characteristics of a person I’ve ever met, so I know her future is extremely bright.