Day 26 - July 11 - Blessings I forgot, plus more
I forgot some when I was listing yesterday's blessings -
- two good friends stepped up and took care of our RV problems. Thank you thank you thank you!
- Connor directed me to go get some sleep (I had gotten two hours the night before, and have been averaging about four per night). I took his direction as permission, and slept through the night for the first time since this began.
And I have a couple more to add this morning. First, Connor again slept through the night without problems; his heart didn't have any significant problems, meaning they didn't have to use compressions or epinephrine or atropine on him. His heart rate is solidly in the 90s now, after having lingered anywhere from 50 to 70 over the last week or so. The pacemaker stlll sits unused outside his door. He was in pretty good spirits this morning, and he was reluctant to take the benadryl they've been giving him to rest until after he saw his sister and Granny. During the trach cleaning this morning, the senior RT was using Connor to help a new RT learn his trade (YIPES!?!). While Connor's face was a study in consternation, his heart rate never varied from 93-95. Praise the Lord for THAT answer to prayer!
Second, Cherié and Joélle first overheard, then spoke with the doctor who was most insistent about the pacemaker a few days ago. He wants to get the speech pathologist in to see about getting Connor fitted with either a new trach tube with a speaking valve, or rigging his current trach with one, and getting him talking, as he's already talking around his current trach and is able to swallow. He said that if he's doing this well a week from now, they would put a speaking valve into his trach.
When we heard this news, Cherié and I immediately came together to thank the Lord for these signs of encouragement, asking that He continue the work He's begun in the boy.
After that, Cherié sat to read her Bible, and shortly started reading aloud to me -
"2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
We're trying to learn to watch the Sailor, instead of the waves.
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posted by Eric Williamson @ 11:15 AM
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15 Comments:
One word,
Amen!
Colleen and I are praying daily for you, Cherie, Connor and Joelle as you travel this path God has you on. Your words are ministering to us and to many in the West Hills family, bro.
- Brad
Praise the Lord!
~Sara Maria Charlottesville VA
Be Thou My Vision
Ancient Irish Hymn
Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me save that Thou art.
Thou my best thought by day and by night,
Waking or sleeping Thy presence my light.
Be Thou my Wisdom and Thou my ture Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou thy great Father, I thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.
Be Thou my battle-shield, sword for my fight,
Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight.
Thou my soul's shelter, Thou my high tow'r.
Raise Thou me heav'nward, O Pow'r of my pow'r.
Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven my Treasure Thou art.
High King of heaven, my victory won,
May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heav'ns son,
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O ruler of all.
Here's a new song I thought of by Scott Krippayne - Sometimes he calms the storm
All who sail the sea of faith
Find out before too long
How quickly blue skies can grow dark
And gentle winds grow strong
Suddenly fear is like white water
Pounding on the soul
Still we sail on knowing
That our Lord is in control
Sometimes He calms the storm
With a whispered peace be still
He can settle any sea
But it doesn't mean He will
Sometimes He holds us close
And lets the wind and waves go wild
Sometimes He calms the storm
And other times He calms His child
He has a reason for each trial
That we pass through in life
And though we're shaken
We cannot be pulled apart from Christ
No matter how the driving rain beats down
On those who hold to faith
A heart of trust will always
Be a quiet peaceful place
Trina
SPokane
Small mercies, added together, equal one big mercy at the end of the road. I think it is neat how another small mercy is Cherie's Bible reading, and the verses you quoted.He gives just the right word at just the right time, and it strengthens us.
Keep watching the Sailor !
Wow! What a great way to start the day! "Praise God from whom all blessings flow..."
Connor you seem like an awesome guy! We are all encouraged by you personal drive and love and compassion for your family. Amidst everything you encourage your dad to get a good night's rest, now that is a good son. I can't wait to see more blessings come from our faithful Lord!
The Lord is our Sheperd and he watches over all his sheep without fail. I'm praying the day continues to bring good things!
So encouraged by you Connor,
Krista
Lewis
If Connor doesn't watch out, by the end of this ordeal he's going to have dozens of young ladies who are utterly smitten with him! What a great son and a super guy! Awesome news today!
iamjustone
If you haven't already - I think you should take a picture of that pacemaker outside his door. In the future it might serve as a reminder of how serious things got before they turned around.
Still holding you all up in prayer.
Connor,
Thank you for nudging your dad in the direction of a pillow. It's amazing what even one good night of sleep can do for a person, especially when lack of sleep has been his constant companion these past 3 1/2 weeks. Keep your mind fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith. We have a Savior who is well acquainted with suffering and sorrow. He understands your every thought and feeling. So cast all your worries on him because he cares for you. Lee and I are praying for you daily.
Eric and Cherie,
Thank you for the update on the added blessings. Without diminishing the fact that Connor's situation remains dire, it feels really good to focus on some positive things and give thanks to God accordingly. I'm so inspired by how you two are turning to the Lord together, rather than turning away from each other (which is often what happens to couples in situations like this). My prayer is that you will continue setting an example for other believers who are going through their own trials, or who have yet to go through the fires.
Joelle,
God bless your unwavering faith and ability to see good things in the midst of a really bad situation. I know what it's like to see a sibling suffer in a hospital. You want to fix it...protect...make the pain go away...take their place. You may not know it right now, but you are having a tremendous healing effect on Connor just by your mere presence. It's clear you two have a special bond. Stay strong, girly. Keep singing with him. He appreciates it more than he can express right now.
Praying for you all constantly throughout the day and night...
Jenann
Praise God! He never leaves!
I received the following email from a woman in San Luis Obispo who has been keeping track on the ConnorWatch site. When I saw the name on the email, I immediately wrote back to confirm who she is. Turns out this is someone I know from church back in SLO before Lee and I got married. I went to highschool with this gal's brother-in-law. What a small world we live in! Anyway, she wanted you all to know that she's praying for you.
**************************
This is an enquiry e-mail via http://www.connorwatch.org/ from:
Robbin Mote
Just wanted the family to know I'm praying for them and have tried to keep up with their journey. I work with a friend whose husband knows the family (I think that's how it goes), so that's how I know about Connor. I can't imagine going through this, but I was praying for another family a year ago who went through something with their son. I know it could happen to anyone, and just want to pray for peace for you and enduring strength as you go through this time in your life. God bless you. I'll keep watching.
Eric,
Very thankful that you got some sleep. God himself took the time to rest so you're in good company.
Your comment about watching the Sailor and not the waves made me think of the very old hymn, "Let the Lower Lights be Burning." It's rarely sang anymore but is a beautiful song written by Philip Bliss who was one of the few surviving passengers of a ship that crashed into a rocky shoreline. The "lower lights" were lights along the shoreline that alerted ships so they could avoid crashing into the rocks. The ship crashed because the lighthouse keeper had allowed the "lower lights" to go out. The chorus of the hymn says:
Let the lower lights be burning!
Send a beam across the wave!
Some poor fainting, struggling seaman
You may rescue, you may save.
Those of us out here praying for you and your family will keep the lower lights on so that you can watch the Sailor and not worry about the shoreline.
Blessings and prayers,
The Duarte family
Dear Connor,
What an awesome ministry God has given to you, affecting lives around the world! I am humbled by your faith, your love of your family, and your courage...May God continue to bless you and heal you.
So glad you got some sleep! And I am so glad that Connor may be ablet to communicate more easy with you all soon. It shows his persistence to be able to talk past the tubing he wasn't even supposed to be able to talk past!
As always,
Michawn
MHBC
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