Prayers answered

My little one was sick recently.  He hasn't often been sick and as a result of that (plus him being the fourth child) I wasn't too concerned over the sickness.  He'd recover in a few days surely and life would return to normal.  We made him comfortable and began to wait it out.  A week of fever and then cough turned to two weeks and going on three weeks of sickness.

As I went about errands and prepared to go to the Chosen Women's Conference that day, with a soon to be uncompleted list of to-do's,  I stopped by the clinic with this little one just to make sure.  Within 10 minutes of arriving, a chest scan completed and initial treatment for pneumonia, an ambulance was called to transport us to the children's hospital.  My little one was in respiratory distress and treatment in the office was having no effect.  With almost no battery power left on my phone, I alerted my husband, our pastor and friends.  With a now dead battery, I sat back in the ambulance with his hand in mine and prayed.  Cut off from communication, I didn't know that my mother in law had alerted to prayer family and friends all over the world and the entire prayer team at church began to pray.

We arrived at the hospital and they assessed his condition, listened to his lungs and continued oxygen.  While I had been told he had pneumonia and double ear infection not more than an hour prior, I was now being told there was no pneumonia or ear infection.  They ran tests and within hours this tests returned negative.  Without saying it, they had no idea what was afflicting my little one.  One student doctor at the medical university had the wild idea to run a titers test for a strain of pneumonia which had been suspected but returned negative.  We were kept overnight for monitoring oxygen and sent home with no answers.

Three days later, the overseeing doctor called with results.  The titers test came back positive.  At some point in recent history, he had pneumonia, and by the time we arrived at the hospital, there was no trace of the germs causing his illness.

I really believe God's presence was with us while we rode in the ambulance that day.  We were covered in prayer by the clinic staff, family and friends during that time.  Prior to the ambulance ride, he had pneumonia, and by the time we arrived at the hospital, there was no sign of pneumonia.  No other explanation for what happened except that God answered prayer in that moment and delivered him from this attack. God is good. He's a good good father.

I know that had there been another outcome, the following days would have been more a trial than they were.  There have been times in our lives when healing didn't come as quickly and the process was more intense.  Yet even then, God was faithful. God is always faithful. Then, now and ever will be.

I remain thankful to God, to the clinic and to the friends and family that held us up that day.

I'm cradling the future in my arms tonight

It was the day of the big game and we're all crowded around the tube with our tummies stuffed and anticipating which would be the next championship team.  We like football!  It was a sweet moment with my middle boy all wrapped and cuddly in my cozy arms.  In moments like these, it's easy to forget the big screen and cherish, treasure the snuggles and think about what this one has come through and what could be immeasurably, abundantly more for him in his many days to come.

He had recently been afflicted with a form of pneumonia and now today again with a tummy bug. And while these past few weeks have been but a shadow of his former days, they have been a challenge for this mamabear to see this middle boy struggle through another illness.  As in those days, we get on our knees and pray for comfort, pray for strength and pray for healing, for his body to come into alignment with the Creator's plan for his body.

In previous years, he has battled up to 15 food allergies in addition to the seasonal and environmental allergens, battled skin care challenges and asthma regimens.  We kept Jeremiah 17:14 in our focus.  "Heal me, Lord and I will be healed.  Save me Lord and I will be saved for you are the One I praise."  It's wasn't overnight, but God led us through an adventure that has complete and total healing on the other side. We aren't there yet, but we will one day be.

Whenever he encounters sickness in any form, how quickly my mind wanders back to the dark days for him.  And how quickly God reminds me that he faithfully brought my middle through those dark days. He has plans to prosper him and plans for a future for my middle boy.

That night, I snuggled, cuddled and praised Him for all He has done and imagined what He has yet to do in this little one's life and sat amazed that I get to witness it and love him through it all.

grandpa

There's nothing quite like the extraordinary way words of a mentor... a friend... a grandfather can find me in a dark place and remind me of the hope that is to come. When pressure crowds in and suffocates, the reminder of who I am, whose I am alleviates and soothes.  I remember times when Grandpa would send a simple message, "I'm thinking about you- everything okay?"  In these simple words, permission to ask for help, share frustration, share aspirations, memories and dreams.  And then, so it's so much more.  It's hope for the future, building up and confirming.  It's love.