Laura’s son Zach touched millions with his song, “Clouds,†while he battled cancer. She has written a book about her experience, “Fly a Little Higher."
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WELCOME TO THE SHOW.
ZACH WAS JUST 17 YEARS OLD
WHEN HE FOUND FAME.
HIS SONG, "CLOUDS," BECOME
THE NUMBER ONE DOWNLOAD
ON iTUNES.
AND A SHORT DOCUMENTARY ON
HIS LIFE WAS VIEWED OVER
12 MILLION TIMES ON JUB.
YouTube.
BUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
ZACH AND OTHERS IS THAT ALL
OF THIS FAME CAME WHEN HE
WAS DYING OF CANCER.
Reporter: ZACH WAS 14
YEARS OLD WHEN HE WAS
DIAGNOSED WITH A RARE FORM
OF BONE CANCER.
IN 2012, AFTER NUMEROUS
SURGERIES AND TREATMENTS,
ZACH WAS TOLD HE ONLY HAD
MONTHS TO LIVE.
BEFORE ZACH LOST HIS BATTLE
IN 2013, HE WROTE A FAREWELL
SONG FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS
CALLED "CLOUDS."
IT RECEIVED MORE THAN
11 MILLION HITS ON
YouTube, AND MADE HIM AN
INTERNET SENSATION.
BUT THERE IS MORE TO HIS
STORY.
IN HER BOOK, "FLY A LITTLE
HIGHER," ZACH'S MOM TELLS
HOW ZACH USED GOD TO INSPIRE
OTHERS.
AND SHE SHARES ZACH'S
MESSAGE THAT WE DON'T HAVE
TO FIND OUT WE'RE DYING TO
START LIVING.
Gordon: JOINING US NOW
IS ZACH'S MOM, LAURA SOBIAC,
AND WELCOME TO "700 CLUB
INTERACTIVE."
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
Gordon: YOU HAD TO PRAY
A VERY UNUSUAL PRAYER, AND
IT IS LIKE THE PRAYER OF
JESUS IN THE GARDEN OF
GETHSEMANE.
YES.
Gordon: WHERE YOU
LITERALLY SAID, LORD, I ASK
THIS CUP BE TAKEN AWAY, BUT
IF YOU DON'T, THEN YOU'RE
WILL BE DONE.
RIGHT.
Gordon: WHAT WAS IT
LIKE TO GO THROUGH THAT?
IT WAS AGONY.
IT REALLY WAS.
THERE WAS SO MUCH TURMOIL IN
MY SOUL AS I WAS TRYING TO
FIGURE OUT HOW TO PRAY.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, TRUSTING
GOD AND HIS WILL, YET HAVING
MY OWN PETITION, HOW THOSE
TWO WORK TOGETHER WAS A REAL
STRUGGLE FOR ME.
SO IN THE END, IT WAS
CHRIST'S PRAYER IN THAT
GARDEN THAT I FOUND TO BE
THE PERFECT PRAYER, BUT I
DID AMEND IT.
I PUT AN AMENDMENT ON IT.
Gordon: YOU STRUCK A
BARGAIN?
I DID.
I SAID, YOU KNOW, BUT, LORD,
IF YOU HAVE TO TAKE ZACH, IF
THAT IS PART OF THE PLAN,
THEN I JUST WANT IT TO BE
FOR SOMETHING BIG.
AND TRULY IN MY MIND
SOMETHING BIG WAS ONE SOUL
CHANGED FOREVER.
AND I DIDN'T HAVE TO SEE
THAT PERSON.
I JUST WANTED IT TO HAPPEN.
I WANTED IT TO BE FOR
SOMETHING.
AND THEN "CLOUDS" CAME INTO
OUR LIFE.
Gordon: LET'S TALK
ABOUT, I GUESS, THE JOURNEY
THAT YOU WENT THROUGH.
I SEE YOU AND ZACH INTERACT
IN THE VIDEO, AND THERE IS
THE OBVIOUS ALMOST TEL TEL
EPATHY GOING ON BETWEEN YOU
TWO, AND YOU'VE GOT YOUR
INNER SMILE, AND SO IT MUST
HAVE BEEN JUST DELIGHTFUL
RAISING ZACH.
IT WAS.
IT WAS A TRUE JOY.
Gordon: AND THEN YOU
FIND OUT THIS HORRIBLE
NEWS.
HE GOES FOR A RUN AND COMES
BACK AND SAYS HE HAS THIS
PAIN, AND THEN YOU FIND OUT
WHAT THAT WAS.
DURING THIS JOURNEY, I
ASSUME YOU ARE PRAYING ALL
THE WAY THROUGH?
THAT WAS A STRUGGLE FOR
ME, TOO.
BECAUSE, AS HIS MOTHER, I,
OF COURSE, WANTED HIM TO BE
HEALED, BUT I KIND OF DIDN'T
WANT TO SET MYSELF UP TO BE
DISAPPOINTED.
Gordon: WHAT, THAT GOD
WOULDN'T COMFORT YOU?
RIGHT, OR IF I PRAYED FOR
SOMETHING SPECIFIC, LIKE I
WANT THIS TUMOR TO
DISAPPEAR, IF IT DIDN'T
HAPPEN, WHERE WOULD IT LEAVE
ME IN MY RELATIONSHIP WITH
GOD?
BECAUSE THIS WAS A BIG THING
TO ASK FOR.
SO THE FIRST COUPLE OF
YEARS, ACTUALLY, I JUST
PRAYED FOR GOD'S GRACE TO
GET THROUGH THE TREATMENTS
AND FOR STRENGTH FOR OUR
FAMILY AND STRENGTH FOR
ZACH.
AND SO I GUESS THAT WAS SORT
OF THAT PRAYER THAT WE
TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, WHICH
WAS SORT OF THE CLIMAX OF
THAT STRUGGLE EN MY SOUL, OF
HOW TO I TRUST GOD AND WHAT
DO I PUT MY HOPE IN?
SO, ULTIMATELY, YES, IT
ENDED UP BEING A PRAYER FOR
HEALING, AND ALSO OF
SUBMITTING, AND THE GRACE TO
DO THAT.
Gordon: AND THEN YOUR
BARGAIN?
AND THEN MY BARGAIN,
YES.
Gordon: LORD, IF YOU
WANT HIM, IF THIS IS HIS
TIME, THEN I WANT IT TO MEAN
SOMETHING.
AND I THINK THROUGHOUT
OUR WHOLE STRUGGLE, OUR
WHOLE WALK WITH CANCER, JUST
SORT OF THE UNDERSTANDING
THAT SUFFERING WAS WORTH
SOMETHING, THAT WE WERE
WITNESSING OUR FAITH AND
GOD'S GRACE THROUGH OUR
SUFFERING.
YOU KNOW, AND I THINK THAT'S
KIND OF HOW I HANDLED IT
UNTIL THAT ONE MOMENT.
Gordon: IT MUST HAVE
BEEN EXTRAORDINARILY PAINFUL
FOR ZACH.
THERE IS A LONG LATIN NAME
FOR HIS CONDITION, BUT IT
COMES DOWN TO BONE CANCER.
RIGHT.
Gordon: WHICH MEANS YOU
CAN'T BEAR WEIGHT.
EVERY STEP WERE BE PAIN.
UH-HUH.
Gordon: I WOULD IMAGINE
TO THE END, JUST LYING THERE
IS PAIN.
YEAH.
IT WAS -- HE WENT THROUGH
INTENSE SUFFERING.
HE TRULY DID.
AND AS HIS MOTHER, WATCHING
HIM GO THROUGH THAT, THERE
WAS A PART OF ME THAT
NATURALLY NEEDED TO TAKE
CARE OF HIM.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF
MY ENERGY WENT.
AS I WAS WRITING THE BOOK
THAT I'VE WRITTEN, AND JUST
REFLECTING ON THAT
AFTERWARDS, THAT'S WHEN I
GOT THE REAL SENSE OF OH, HE
SUFFERED SO MUCH AND SO
WELL.
HE DIDN'T COMPLAIN.
AND THAT'S AMAZING TO ME.
Gordon: IT'S OBVIOUS,
WHEN YOU SEE THE VIDEO,
THERE IS STILL JOY ON HIS
FACE.
THERE IS A LIGHT ON HIS
FACE.
AND I LOVE HIS, QUOTE,"YOU
DON'T HAVE TO FIND OUT
YOU'RE DYING TO START
LIVING."
YEAH.
Gordon: DO YOU TAKE
COMMUNION DIFFERENTLY NOW?
YEAH, BECAUSE ZACH IS
PART OF THIS ETERNAL WORLD
NOW.
SO THERE IS A CONNECTION
THERE.
AND A BIGGER PICTURE.
I THINK THERE ARE SO MANY
PARTS OF OUR CHRISTIAN FAITH
THAT WE ARE TRAINED IN AND
WE PRACTICE, BUT THE REAL
MEANING AND THE HEART OF THE
MEANING COMES THROUGH
SUFFERING.
AND A NEW UNDERSTANDING OF
IT, A NEW LEVEL OF
UNDERSTANDING, SO, YES, I
HAVE A NEW UNDERSTANDING OF
IT.
Gordon: DO YOU HAVE A
NEW UNDERSTANDING OF MARY
STANDING AT THE CROSS,
WITNESSING ALL OF IT?
I CLUNG TO MARY
THROUGHOUT OUR JOURNEY.
MY BACKGROUND IS ROMAN
CATHOLIC, SO WE HAVE THE
ROSERY, AND AS A MOTHER,
WATCHING HER SON SUFFER, I
GAINED SO MUCH STRENGTH
THROUGH STANDING BY HER SIDE
AND WITNESSING MY SON.
Gordon: I SAW A VIDEO
WHERE SOMEONE CAME INTO YOUR
HOME AND HE SAID, I WAS
EXPECTING TO MEET ZACH.
BUT I WASN'T EXPECTING TO
HAVE MY LIFE CHANGED
COMPLETELY.
YEAH.
Gordon: AND SO YOUR
PRAYER GOT ANSWERED EVEN
BEFORE ZACH DIED.
OH, YEAH.
I THINK MY PRAYER WAS
ANSWERED THE MOMENT I SAID
ISAID IT WAS ME.
THAT'S WHERE I TIMELY GOT TO
HAVE THAT UNDERSTANDING AND
THAT PEACE AND JUST LETTING
GO AND LETTING GOD DO WHAT
HE WAS GOING TO DO AND BE
OKAY WITH THAT.
Gordon: WHY IS THAT SO
HARD FOR US TO DO?
WE ALWAYS THINK WE CAN RUN
THE UNIVERSE BETTER THAN
GOD.
YEAH.
AND I THINK I'VE DONE A LOT
OF CONTEMPLATING ON THAT,
TOO, AND TRYING TO
UNDERSTAND GOD'S WILL
BECAUSE IT IS TRICKY
SOMETIMES.
THE BEST PICTURE I CAN COME
UP WITH IS A PICTURE, A
PAINTING.
WE'RE EACH BRUSH STROKES,
AND WE GET SO FOCUSED
SOMETIMES ON THAT ONE BRUSH
STROKE, THAT WE FAIL TO
UNDERSTAND HOW WE AFFECT THE
WHOLE PICTURE.
AND THAT'S THAT ETERNAL
PICTURE THAT ONLY GOD CAN
SEE.
AND WE'RE LIMITED IN BEING
ABLE TO STEP BACK AND GRASP
IT.
THAT'S WHERE OUR FAITH COMES
IN, THAT WE ARE PART OF
SOMETHING BIGGER THAN JUST
OURSELVES.
AND WHATEVER IS GOING ON IN
OUR LIVES CAN STILL BE A
BEAUTIFUL PART OF THAT
PAINTING IF WE ALLOW IT.
IF WE ALLOW GOD'S GRACE TO
GUIDE OUR LIVES.
Gordon: WHAT WOULD YOU
SAY TO PARENTS WHO HAVE LOST
CHILDREN?
AND I KNOW IT HAS TO BE ONE
OF THE MOST HORRIBLE THINGS
A PARENT CAN GO THROUGH.
WE ALL EXPECT OUR CHILDREN
TO OUTLIVE US, AND WHEN THAT
DOESN'T HAPPEN, THAT DOESN'T
HAPPEN, WHAT WOULD YOU TELL
THEM?
THAT IS A REALLY HARD
QUESTION.
BECAUSE WE ALL GRIEVE SO
DIFFERENTLY.
AND SO I'M VERY SORT OF
CONSCIOUS OF THAT.
IF A FRIEND IS GOING TO
INTRODUCE ME TO SOMEBODY WHO
HAS LOST A CHILD, WE'RE ALL
IN DIFFERENT PLACES.
AND SOMETIMES IT IS HARD TO
KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO BRING
COMFORT.
BUT I THINK THE MOST
COMFORTING THING THAT WE CAN
BE AWARE OF IS THAT WHEN WE
ARE SUFFERING MOST
INTENSELY, AND OFTENTIMES
THAT'S IN A STATE OF GRIEF,
CHRIST IS THERE.
I REMEMBER READING A
MEDITATION WHEN I WAS JUST
IN TURMOIL AND FEELING SO IN
DARKNESS, AND THE IMAGE OF
GOD'S HAND IS OVER SHADOWING
YOU.
THAT THAT DARKNESS IS OKAY
BECAUSE CHRIST IS CLOSE.
AND JUST KNOWING THAT CAN
SOMETIMES HELP.
BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE FEEL
LIKE WHEN WE'RE FEELING DARK
OR WE'RE CLOSE TO DISPAIR,
THAT WE'RE SOMEHOW FURTHER
AWAY FROM GOD.
AND THAT'S NOT ALWAYS THE
CASE.
WE JUST FORGET HOW CLOSE HE
IS.
Gordon: WE'RE ACTUALLY
CLOSER, IF WE SHARE IN HIS
SUFFERING.
ABSOLUTELY, YES.
Gordon: I LIKE TO TELL
FOLKS WHO ARE GOING THROUGH
THIS THAT GOD KNOWS WHAT IT
IS LIKE TO LOSE A CHILD.
AND HE INTIMATELY FEELS
THAT.
RIGHT.
Gordon: AND YOU CAN
SHARE THAT WITH HIM.
YEAH.
Gordon: IT'S A POINT OF
DEEP FELLOWSHIP.
IN MY EXPERIENCE, THERE IS
NOTHING DEEPER.
WHEN YOU COME TO THAT
GETHSEMANE POINT, NOT MY
WILL, BUT YOUR WILL BE DONE,
AND BE STAFFED WITH IT,
SATISFIED WITH IT, AND NOT
BEING RESENTFUL.
AND KNOWING THAT JESUS
CHRIST WAS THERE.
THE MOST PERFECT HUMAN
BEING, GOD, JESUS, FELT THAT
WAY.
AND GET COMFORT IN UNITING
WITH THAT.
Gordon: WE CAN TALK A
LONG TIME, BUT I'VE BEEN
GIVEN A CUE THAT WE'VE GOT
TO STOP.
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE
ABOUT ZACH'S WONDERFUL
LIFE -- AND IT WILL CHANGE
YOU.
WHEN YOU GET INTO THE DETAIL
OF HOW HE LIVED HIS FINAL
YEARS, AND WHAT HE WANTED
YOU TO TAKE AWAY, IT WILL
CHANGE YOUR LIFE.
SO LAURA'S BOOK, "FLY A
LITTLE HIGHER," IS AVAILABLE
NATIONWIDE.
LAURA, THANK YOU FOR BEING
WITH US.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.