Delays

Garren was scheduled to begin his new swallow therapy - the McNeil Program - last Tuesday. We got a call that same day informing us that they are still waiting to hear from Medicaid. Until they get approval from Medicaid they will not start the therapy. So the next start date is this Tuesday. Please pray with us that Medicaid approves this new therapy.

Speaking of Medicaid and prayer, our overnight nursing is scheduled to end on January 31. We've submitted all the paperwork for an extension, so Lord willing we will hear from Medicaid on that very soon. Otherwise we're going to be pulling some all-nighters.

We continue to pray and wait.

Car Exchange

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that Nancy had been in an accident with the van. Everyone's fine - just wanted to update you on the situation.

The accident happened on a Wednesday evening. It would be Friday before we could get a copy of the police report, and several more days before the insurance company would even take a look at the damage on the van. From everything we can tell, the other driver was at fault, so we were at the mercy of their insurance agent. Finally, on Wednesday (a week later), a tow truck showed up to take the van to a body shop.

Meanwhile, my good friend David (who helped us with this van) was working behind the scenes on a replacement van. The next thing I know he's talking to me about when I can come pick up the new van! What? Another van that quickly? I can't go into all the details, but I can tell you that no matter what happens, God's hand is in it. Was it frustrating to have to deal with not having a wheelchair van for a couple of weeks? Yes! Garren especially did not enjoy taking his manual chair to school. But God provided another van, and we are back in business.

Thanks for your continued prayers. Garren is continuing to progress, and get stronger every day. The physical therapists who are working with Garren said Monday that once Garren's sense of balance kicks in, he'll be walking in no time.

Next week Garren starts his McNeil program, a 3 week, 5 day a week intensive swallow therapy.

Today we have another evaluation from the home nursing company so that can request another month of overnight nursing from Medicaid. His current overnight nursing ends an the end of January.

Endure vs. Enjoy

We've settled into somewhat of a routine. We have night nursing (approved through the end of this month) from 11pm until 7am. Since I'm the early riser in our house, I go to bed around 10 so I can be up early enough to have my quiet time in the morning before anyone else gets up. I walk Kelsey to the bus stop at 6:30, then take over when the nurse leaves at 7. Nancy stays up until 11pm when the nurse gets there. She helps Kelsey get up and ready for school, then lays down for another hour or so. It's working.

There are so many things we'd change right now if we could. That's the case for all of us, I'm sure. We all have those things in our lives that could be "better." We'd all love to make little (or big) adjustments and get our lives back to the way we had planned. But that's just not the way it works.

We're tired. So are you I'm sure. Pressing on is wearisome. Finishing a race is hard. It starts out great - you're fresh, you're excited to run well, to finish strong. But at some point you begin to question why you're even out there. I can think of a lot of things I'd rather be doing, like sleeping in on Saturdays...

But we must press on. We do what we have to do to get through. We endure as best we can.

Andrew Murray, in his book "Humility," wrote about the apostle Paul. Paul said "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weaknesses, that the strength of Christ may rest upon me. Wherefore I take pleasure in weakness: for when I am weak then am I strong" (2 Cor. 12:9-10).

Murray writes: "Instead of simply enduring it, [Paul] most gladly gloried in it; instead of asking for deliverance, he took pleasure in it."

This is a humbling thought. When I am faced with difficult circumstances, I don't really feel like rejoicing. I don't really want to be happy or joyful about it. I want to get through it, be done with it, and move on. But true joy, true happiness, is not found in quickly finishing the trial! I must, as Paul, learn to be content in every circumstance and situation. But it's more than just being content, I must rejoice, glory in the circumstance in which God has placed me! I must become less so that He can become more. I must accept my weakness, for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Yesterday afternoon I dropped a car off at the shop for repairs. Yesterday evening Nancy called to inform me that she had been in an accident with the van. We are thankful that no one was hurt. It wasn't anything too serious, although the van is out of commission until it can be repaired. We sat in my office last night and looked at each other and said "It's just one thing after another!" And it is. We are not in control. God is. We just have to learn to enjoy, rather than endure, the trials and circumstances He is leading us through.

"Jesus, help us to rejoice, to take pleasure in these trials. As much as I want to be through it, help me to trust You and Your timing in all of this. We continue to pray for Garren to be able to swallow. Help us to be strong in Your strength as we learn to enjoy, rather than endure. Amen."