One Year Down

Garren's AVM rupture actually happened on February 4th. But it was a Friday. The 4th is tomorrow, but today being Friday it's easy to reflect back. I remember sitting at the Monroe Campus waiting for Nancy to finish up with the Closet. She was helping some ladies pick out some clothes. That's when I got the call. We had planned to go to Duke's Grill for lunch that day. Well today we went. It was odd sitting there thinking that we were supposed to have eaten there one year ago today.

So much has happened. So many of you have journeyed faithfully with us through so much. I've met so many awesome people, heard so many inspiring stories, and have learned so much about myself. God has not wasted this year. We've all grown in different ways than we ever expected.

Recovery from brain injury is a long, slow process. They say it can take up to 3 years to make a full recovery. That's a reality that is starting to sink in more and more. We had all hoped for a miraculous 6 month recovery, then 8 months, then 1 year...but God's plans are always better than our plans. One year ago Garren lay lifeless in a hospital bed. The ventilator was responsible for keeping him breathing. Tubes and needles, beeping machines, and a tv monitor with all of his vital signs were constant reminders that things had gone terribly wrong. That was a year ago.

Here's Garren today. He can stand with the help of his crutches all by himself for about a minute or so. He did this for the first time this week!

We continue to believe that God is going to restore Garren. And we continue to pray for that daily. We have many more lessons to learn, and even in the midst of helping Garren recover, God is giving us opportunities to lean on Him even more.

1 year down.

Thank you for your prayers and your encouragement.

Still Waiting

It's been almost two weeks since we were hoping to have been approved by Medicaid so that Garren can start this new swallow therapy. We've had to cancel 7 sessions so far, all because of paperwork. We're told it's not a matter of if, but when, the paperwork will come through.

I know it's all in God's timing, but the waiting never gets any easier.

Hopefully we'll have good news soon.

Day 363

In just three days we remember the day we started this journey. It'll be 1 year on Saturday, February 4th. So much has happened, God has faithfully supplied our needs. We have seen the great power that the Lord used. One of the verses that really latched onto our hearts a year ago was Exodus 14:14. "The Lord will fight for you, you have only to be silent." When Garren was laying lifeless in the hospital, that was all we could do...be silent.

As we approach the anniversary of it all, I am once again faced with this verse. In fact, I have had to lean into verse 13 as well: "And Moses said to the people, 'fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.'"

As I reflected on these verse, I went back and began reading the entire chapter. It's the account of Moses finally leading the Israelites out of Egypt:

• Exodus 14:1-4 - The Israelites are led by God into the wilderness. They are being freed from slavery, but God leads them right into a trap! He tells them exactly where to go, and then He says "I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them." God orchestrated a failed escape! Why? "And I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord."

• Exodus 14:5-9 - Pharaoh sends his army to recapture the Israelites. They trap the people between themselves and the Red sea. There is no way out, no escape. It's a hopeless situation.

• Exodus 14:10-14 - As certain disaster closes in, Moses reassures the people "Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord." Do you believe that God is in absolute control? Do you believe that He orchestrates the events in your life? I do. But I have to admit there are times when I look around, and all seems lost. There is no escape, there is no way out. I have to imagine the Israelites looking at Moses and saying "Fear not? Stand Firm? You be still and stand firm! We're about to die!"

• Exodus 14:15-18 - Then God tells Moses to do the most impossible, irrational, ridiculous thing. First He says to Moses "Why are you crying to me?" My response would've been, "Why am I crying to you? Are you serious? Do you not see what's happening here? You led us into a trap!" Then he tells Moses "Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through on dry ground." Now we read that, and many of us know what happens next. We know that Moses parts the Red Sea when he lifts his staff. But Moses had never seen or heard of anything like this before! It was absurd! They were backed into a corner, there was no way of escape, and God tells Moses, almost as if it was the only obvious thing to do, to lift his hand and stretch out his staff and part the Red Sea!

Are you backed into a corner? Does it look hopeless from every angle? Is there no way out? Are you crying out to God? What is the ridiculous, impossible, absurd thing that God is calling you to do? If you were Moses, would you have had the guts to stand before the people of Israel and actually lift your hands and stretch out your staff? It was absurd! Parting a sea is impossible! That just doesn't happen!

I am convinced that many times we remain trapped and defeated by our own version of the Egyptian army, because we are afraid to do what we know God is telling us to do. We're afraid of what people will think, or what they will say. We are too busy analyzing the situation, strategizing, looking for a way out, when all the time God holds the way out. If only we would obey Him.

But if we will listen, and obey, our Lord will fight for us, we have only to be still.