16 February 2010

Two weeks in a lifetime!




I have always loved to travel.

For years I hoped that God would call me (then us) to overseas missions. Young people never think of fear, death, or the effects of both. At least most don't. I didn't at all - I just wanted to follow God! I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed when I began discovering that for now He kept sending us to areas around the US.

Not that it isn't needed - nor is it any less important. I just wanted to raise my children overseas - in a different culture(not to worry, we have hit that several times!) and to know that they were not completely sucked into the sudo-american attack of greed and nastiness! (NOT that there is a lack of greed and nastiness other places... )

Regardless, I found joy in the current deployments (that's what it is you know...) and have loved being in different cultures in the so very different area's of the US. This being said... our stay in the hospital with Brad has changed my mind.

Home missions is GOOD.

American medical system is GOOD. (well, better than most!)

We had a lovely Dr. while in ICU. He is from Columbia (the country, not school...) and lived and worked overseas - most currently had spend four years in NYC (which after all feels like another country...) I think this lead to his great ability to think "outside the box" in treating B. He tested for many scary options to his illness, and (PRAISE GOD) found them all negative. He treated B and I as though we were old friends and his kindness was remarkable. He even called us yesterday to talk and see how B was! I pray that he finds a church home and is loved on!

During his visit's in B's hospital room he shared some stories. One of which, was the remarkable difference in health care that we have available to us versus the other posts he has been at. In one such post, we would have been allowed to put B on a gurney and set him inside the doors of the ICU, then when we brought back twenty-thousand dollars they would have begun treatment. So kind of them.... $20,000!!!! This was in a third world country...

I shutter to think what could have happened if I had pushed and had my way. To be overseas when such a medical emergency arose. No doubt God could and would take care of us. BUT how much better to know that we are in the will of God NOW and we literally drove less than a minute down the road and around one corner and we had GREAT medical care?! America is amazing! I may be paying off this bill for several lifetimes, but I have a husband and a bill. Not a gurney and a promise of help IF...

May this be a lesson to me, and to you. Find JOY in the moment! Right now, where ever you are - are you in the will of God? Have you asked, sought, and found where you are supposed to be? OR have you pushed and pulled, and finagled your way into a cozy spot of your own making? It's not worth it friends! It's not worth it! The protection of our Lord is worth a million personal satisfactions!

I have several people on my heart today, friends pushing their way through life, family seeking the next posting of the Lord (overseas!! in missions!!), and I have you on my heart. I pray that you find true JOY today! Jesus, Others, and finally Yourself!

Love you lots....
Meg

07 February 2010

Asking for prayer - seeking answers!

Dear Friends and Family,

I wanted to give an update as to what we have been facing the last week.  I have been praying about how open to be with the details.  BUT I feel as though some of this depends on our pushing into God will for our lives and for our family.  HE alone knows what the outcome of this will be - and GLORY will be given to him alone!

We have had such support this week.  Ray and Dianne (B's parents) have sent Dianne to stay with us.  She has cooked, cleaned, and laundered so much!  We are so very appreciate to them and to our church family who have brought us food nearly EVERY NIGHT!  Thank you!

Below is a shortened version of what is going on.  I don't share this for any reason other than to elicite prayers for God's hand to shine through in our lives! 

Brad and I were sick this past couple weeks.  Mostly i had some sort of nasty bug that went into bronchitus.  B suddenly came down with it (BAD) and ended up in the emergency room last Sunday morning.  They sent us home saying it was just the flu ("it's the flu, it's gonna hurt - take tylenol")  But Monday at three in the morning I ended up bringing him back (he couldn't breath).  Both of his lungs were 80% filled (compacted) with severe double pneumonia.  He had also begun to have septicemia. 

They rushed him into ICU and he spent three days there.  They considered him in critical condition and it was really scary.  Two days ago they finally moved him into a regular room and then did a procedure where they went in and vacuumed out the left over "pus" (the dr's word!!) out of his lungs and then took some tissue samples.  They are really concerned as to why a healthy 33 year old male would get this sick in just a few days.    His immunology numbers were so low -  a normal healthy adult is 3,000 (for referencce, an HIV patient would be 300 - 500.)  Brad comes in at 59.  Yes, 59. So basically he has NO imune system right now.  We don't know why and he tests negative to everything they have tested for.  So either this is a fluke thing or it might be something we will have some real challenges to find.  Either way, right now he has to stay on a whole bunch of med's to help him not catch everything around him.

So, where are we?  Strangly at peace!  We know that we serve a God that heals.  Our bodies are his and B has lived a life giving honor to the Lord!  We are so thankful that we know whatever is fighting his body was not brought on by his decisions!  His life really has been one searching for God and we know that the Lord will honor this!

Thank you for your prayers!

M and B E.