A Spring of Joy

I’m sorry I’ve not updated, especially since Danica had a really bad night; however, they are home now and Danica was quite happy to be in her own bed.

Thank you for praying for my friends. It means so much.

From Monica’s facebook at 1:20 today (Sunday):

Dr. C and his residents came in today, and he said her progress is REMARKABLE–he never expected such instant visible results with her range of motion and the improved head tilt. The surgery worked!!! They removed her dressing and with no setbacks we can go home tomorrow. “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think!!!”

She wrote me that the neurosurgeon is dumbfounded with how her head has straightened. Monica hasn’t seen her daughter sleep with her head to the left in 7 months. God healed her with this surgery!

I barely remember when she wasn’t crooked and in pain and although she is in discomfort from having her head cut open this girl is BETTER than before Friday. Why do we ever doubt Him? He is an awesome God and worthy of all our praise.

The next while at home is critical. She can’t walk around by herself and they are praying for no falls or setbacks.

PRAISE!

These words, written by Monica this morning, melted my heart.

This sweet baby girl turned a corner last night, and they all got some sleep. She off of morphine and on tylenol with codeine and is finally eating and drinking.

Praising God.

And Monica’s family… well, they are ALL my heroes.

Thanks to those who are praying.

Thank y’all.

Those of you who have prayed. Those of you who have written. Those of you who have encouraged Monica personally. She is feeling those prayers.

I haven’t talked with Monica yet, but I’ve been watching her facebook statuses for the past day. Here are her updates.

12:16 pm–Thank you for praying! Danica is out and uncomfortable but doing very well. The surgeon found some unusual bone growth that may have compounded the Chiari and was able to shave some of that as well as the intended bone decompression. God is good!

5:12 pm–Trying to keep our little girl comfortable with the pain meds–her pain has increased as the day wears on. They moved a big bed in so I can actually lay with her–HUGE difference from trying to sit in a chair and snuggle and the iron cage they call a cribby. PeePaw and KeeWee are bringing me some food soon. We’ve already been through 4 DVDs since Nick Jr. went off the air. Gotta love Dora and Thomas!

4:20 am–Mommy is officially more than 24 hours without sleep. PICU was overflowing so they moved us to same level of care in a room on the 3rd floor in the middle of the night. Danica’s dressing is saturated and bleeding but it’s too soon to change. She is a mess. Once again I must do the thing I think I cannot do. Pray for strength and healing!

She wrote me separately, and told me how exhausted she is, how Danica’s incision is oozing, how her poor baby is a wreck. “It gets worse before it gets better, right?” she wrote.

Please, keep praying. Pray that the “worse” is over and the “better” can begin.

You bless me by loving my friends this way.

I have written often about my dearest childhood friend, Monica. We met 30 years ago, and without her, I don’t know how I would have gotten through a lot of my life. In her blog Monica recently wrote this:

Oswald Chambers wrote, “Living a life of faith means never knowing where you are being led. But it does mean loving and knowing the One who is leading. It is literally a life of faith, not of understanding and reason — a life of knowing him who calls us to go.” Knowing a God who is unchanging and will do everything He says He will do is the only way I will navigate through the next weeks and months. I believe.

One of these days I’m going to have Monica share her story with you… it’s a story of life… a life she almost lost during her pregnancy with her youngest daughter. Her daughter almost lost her life, too.

Now that youngest daughter is 2 years old.

Danica. Sweet, precious, two-year-old Danica.

Danica is having brain surgery on Friday.

This sweet, precious, two-year-old. She has a chiari malformation.

What this means in simple terms is she has a gap where most people’s skulls are closed and so some of her brain is sticking out into her spinal column. Some people have this condition without symptoms, but in Danica’s case she is presenting many of the most severe symptoms very early on.

This is not a post about me, but can I just tell y’all how much it is KILLING me that I live 7 hours away from Monica and can’t be with her even just to sit with her while she keeps vigil for the next week in the ICU?

God knew what He was doing when He formed this sweet one in Monica’s womb. I often picture God’s smile as he formed little Danica. I picture His tears as He feels their pain in this fallen world. And I picture that one day when they will BOTH be pain free forever.

Please, friends, will you pray with me for my friend and for baby Danica? Will you pray for Dan & Monica as parents who must watch their child suffer? Will you pray for Delaney, her sister, who isn’t allowed in the ICU, will stay with grandparents and be away from her parents during this fearful time? Will you pray for the rest of their family, near and far?

And will you pray for faith to believe truth when life seems so brutal?

I know how much it would mean to me… and it would mean even more to my friend.

Thank you.

Reading truths to my children in the morning over breakfast. Leading Little Ones to God reminds us how God is everywhere and we are never alone. I read those words this morning to my littles, and Bear leaned against my arm as we prayed, thanking God that He doesn’t leave us.

“Mom?” his green eyes looked up at me after we chorused our “amens”. “I’m so glad to know God goes with me to school, but I’m even gladder that He stays here with you to look after you.”

And I bowed my head onto the table and cried, tears that I thought would never end.

I heard Him today. It was in the voice of my son.

~~~~~

Bella tiptoeing down our hallway in the wee hours of thr morning. Climbing to snuggle in our bed just as the sun is peeking over the horizon. Her Digger Dog clutched close, she pats my cheek.

“Pssst.” I whisper, part of our morning routine.

She grins, not allowing me to finish. “I love you,” she whispers back, “And God loves you, too. He made me dis way.”

I heard Him today. It was in the voice of my daughter.

~~~~~

Asher finishing his book, then burrowing next to me on the couch, sharing my blanket. I pull him close and he leans his head on my shoulder. “Oh, Mom,” he sighs, “I’m so glad God picked you to be my mom.”

I hug him, “Me, too, Buddy.” We sit in silence. Then I say, “You know there’s going to come a day when you’ll think you’re too big and too cool to snuggle with me like this.”

He looks up at me, grinning almost shyly, “Yeah, I know. But it doesn’t mean I won’t still love you.”

I heard Him today. It was in the voice of my son.

~~~~~

O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.

I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.

Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.

I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.

My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.

Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.

My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.

(Psalm 63:1-8)

I heard Him today. It was in the voice of His Word, my favorite Psalm.

~~~~~

I heard Him today. It was in a note received in the mail by a dear girl, gone away to college, who wanted to encourage me that He’s still there, He still hears, He still loves.

I heard Him today. It was the voice of friends on the phone who called to check in, to reassure me of their love.

I heard Him today. It was watching my Brian comfort Bella when she was sad to leave me while I met with my Bible study girls. Hearing his reassurances, letting her know everything would be okay.

I heard Him today. It was the voices of my children raised in worship, singing The Doxology as they went through their morning routines. Off-key and loud, I could still picture God’s smile.

I heard Him today. It was in my birthday phone call to Monica, celebrating her life, a life she almost lost several years ago. It was the reminder that He heals, He restores, He gives life.

I heard Him today. It was in little voices playing together in the playroom, the humming of machines cleaning our chimney, the purr of the coffee pot, the whirring of the bread maker. It was the sigh of contentment after beef stew, and the sound of running water cleaning dishes. It was the peace of quiet time and the chaos of play time. It was companionable conversation with Asher as I drove him to Cub Scouts. It was the music on my computer and dancing in the kitchen.

I heard him today. It was in the teasings by my Brian, the little flirtations in our kitchen, laughing together. It was hearing his heartbeat as I pressed my head against his chest and felt the strength of his arms wrap around me.

I heard Him today. It was reading Little Pilgrim’s Progress to the boys before bed, tears streaming down my cheeks as Little Christian faces the dark river before his home going. It was the words of Little Hopeful cheering him on to remind him that there is a glorious future awaiting us. And I ended my day just as I had begun, with tears of thankfulness.

~~~~~

I heard Him today.

And the sound of His voice was intoxicating.