Dear friends,
Thank you all for your continued support and love from afar. We pray we can be home soon, as this is hard being so far away. I have had many requests for an update so I will do my best. It is 4:45 AM here, and we just got carter calmed down from another “spell.” There have been many miracles the last two days. The nurses and doctors said they rarely see someone go from being on life support to breathing on their own so quickly. Also he is talking, moving all extremities and walking with minimal assistance to the bathroom.
We are really trying to keep refocusing our gaze on all the positives because as many as there are, this is still a very difficult situation. Carter is in a lot of pain all over, but most specifically his head and right arm/shoulder. He is confused and his memory is poor which is keeping him very emotional and agitated. It has been a rough night. We continue to covet your prayers. I am trying to be very intentional about focusing on the positives-he is alive! Thank you Jesus for sparing him! In the hard moments it is difficult to keep my gaze fixed on all the miracles.
This is not an easy road right now, and that could easily overwhelm me if I let it. It is very hard to watch your child suffering and begging you to make the pain go away. All we can do is comfort and reassure him, but we cannot take away his pain. He asked me tonight to get in bed next to him. He said, “when you lay next to me I feel better.” I realized how much my presence, and his dad’s presence, comforts him. It’s not that it takes his pain away, but it gives him a sense of security and comfort.
Tonight has been a representation for me of what the walk of a believer looks like in this life. We have a Heavenly Father who loves us beyond measure, and it must tear him apart to see his children suffer. He is not always able to remove the pain for reasons we may never understand, but his presence is a pilar of comfort, security and peace that we cannot gain from any other source. It is not that our suffering is relieved, but HIS presence affords us the ability to reflect the character of a loving God through our affliction.
These two verses have been my rocks of truth to get me through yesterday and tonight: Psalm 131:1~ I do not concern myself with matters too great or too awesome to grasp. Also I continually draw on this truth from Isaiah for peace and comfort: Isaiah 26:3~ You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, and whose thoughts are fixed on you. I am thanking God for each of you continually. Your support and encouragement are giving flight to our weary wings. We love you all so much!