Day 98 - September 21 - A good day
Today was a good change of pace for us. It started out (for Joélle, anyway) at 0345 when she got up to go to work (apparently Starbucks' opens at 0430 - what's THAT about?). Cherié and I were able to go to church for the early service, where we met some new friends and saw some old ones. Y'all don't know what a blessing it is to be wrapped in the arms of someone who cares. Words can't describe the difference between a hug in May 2008 and a hug in September 2008, but it's real.
When we got home from church, Joélle wanted to go hang with brother for a while by herself and have a movie day with him, so us old ones stayed home and took care of some of the myriad of tiny details that haven't been getting done, as well as just taking a few minutes outside of the hospital when we could be at home but not have to be asleep. Cherié and I got to the boy's room in the late afternoon to find the kids and a friend laughing and goofing off together, which was a good sight to behold. It cheers us so much to see them laugh together.
We are still trying to figure out the idiosyncrasies of the first floor, but we were a little more settled today. Of course, Sunday is the off day for rehab, so hopefully we'll be able to adjust tomorrow to whatever comes.
I want to take a second to tell you how much your comments and emails mean to all of us. We draw so much encouragement and support from them. I wanted especially to say "thank you" to Nancy for her concern about me and for her courage in posting her name, as well. I don't mention her by name to single her out, but rather to acknowledge her comments. They give me the tie-in I needed - I've received some interesting emails and comments lately, including Nancy's, and they are helping me lay the groundwork for Part 3 of my "Atrophied Faith" ramblings. For those who may not have seen them, Part One and Part Two of the series can be found by clicking on the links, and represent the struggles I am in as I endeavor to figure out what it means to pray for something in faith according to the scriptures (as opposed to how we believers currently try to do it) in the midst of our present situation.
Tomorrow, Monday 9/22/08, is "R". I asked Connor for a good "R" word, and tossed a few for him to think about. None of the good, solid, Christianese words I suggested rang his bell, and he mused over it for a bit. Then he got my attention and mouthed "Rock Solid". Now, because I'm part pessimist, part cynic, and part skeptic (and apparently ALL idiot), I asked him "Do you feel that or are you just saying that"? He locked eyes with me and said "He's Rock Solid".
That's good enough for me - our word for tomorrow is "Rock Solid".
By the way, the two of us had a very moving few moments right then while we praised Him for being Rock Solid in our tempestuous lives. Praise Him with your words!
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posted by Eric Williamson @ 10:39 PM
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24 Comments:
Praise the LORD for a good day.
Our GOD is RADIANT: adj. vividly bright and shining - glowing - expresive of love, confidence, happiness.
JESUS is the source of all love, goodness, light, and joy.
Praying for a great week for you Connor and family.
~Shayne, Hollister
Redeemer!
Dictionary definition:
1 a: to buy back : repurchase b: to get or win back
2: to free from what distresses or harms: as a: to free from captivity by payment of ransom b: to extricate from or help to overcome something detrimental c: to release from blame or debt : clear d: to free from the consequences of sin
3: to change for the better : reform
4: repair, restore
There is a Redeemer,
Jesus, God's own Son,
Precious Lamb of God, Messiah,
Holy One ~Keith Green
Thank you Jesus for redeeming us! For buying us back out of death with your precious blood, and bringing us into eternal life!
Hi Williamsons!
Lee and I just got back from a 4-day Yosemite camping trip. (That's why neither of us has posted in as many days.) Anyway, I will add my R-word tomorrow...I'm still doing some research. But I wanted to tell you before I headed off to bed that on Saturday night, 25 or so of us campers gathered around the campfire to lift you all up in prayer. It was a blessing to be joined by so many believers who gathered for 2 purposes: pray for Connor and family, and praise God for His attributes. Saturday night was "P," and God was certainly PRAISED!
Love you guys,
Jenann
I guess you wouldn't call this an attribute of God, but after thinking and even praying for a word to come to me, putting myself in your situation, and one we had with our son this week, I thought of the word, "ROLLER-COASTER!"
Kinda funny word, but it made me think of God being our "roller-coaster" and we're hanging on for dear life, and go "up and down and around" with our emotions, fears, anxieties, worries, etc.
Hang on, cling to, for dear life, to God who will bring us through our ups and downs of life.
I know that's kind of a weird one, who would think of that but me. But we felt like we were on a "roller-coaster" a few nights back with a scare with our son, so that's what came to mind.
Thinking of you, caring for you, and praying for you! And can't wait to meet you all one day.
In Christ Alone!
Kim
He is real!
Eric & Cherie, it was so good to see you guys after church this morning. After we get back from my son's wedding next week, we will hopefully have a chance to come up and see Connor. Hang in there. We are with you in prayer.
Not only is God Rock Solid, He is also Right On.
The Guthmillers
Our God the "Radiant Reigner"!
He Reigns. He is King of Kings & Lord of Lords.
I prayed you would have a good day Sunday...so needed. Praying for continued healing & victories this week.
"The Lord reigns forever, your God, O Zion,for all generations, Praise the Lord." Psalms 146:10
In His Grace,
KC,MH
He's our Refuge.
I cannot imagine how people who do not know Him go through situations like you are going through with Connor.
His attitude and courage inspire me. Who am I to complain when I have to use my scooter for a few hours? It shames me.
I am praying that God will bring more laughter to your lives today!
Following up on Conner's R word - Rock Solid, this hymn immediately came to mind. Sometimes we sing these old hymns and don't think about the words the hymn writer penned. Here they are:
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.
When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
Refrain
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
Amen.
I love that song! Thanks, Irene.
I love that song too. I don't know how non-christians go through these things without the solid rock. I would definitely be on sinking sand.
I was going to go with Redeemer today because if we didn't have a Redeemer we would have nothing but despair. Since it's already taken I will add one from another song that I love, and from previous posts I think others love it too.
He is the ROSE OF SHARON.
I'm going with rescue - he rescues us in times of trouble.
Solid Rock - Great R word Connor! David sure thought so...
- 2 Samuel Chapter 22
He's my Rock and my Redeemer, He's the reason that I sing I desire to be a blessing in His eyes :)
awwwwwwwwwwwwww, so beautiful and so already taken.
Very happy to hear that you had some awake time at your home, I think Joelee knew exactly what she was doing yesterday, don't you?
She's a wise daughter and sister.
Psalm 145:17
The Lord is RTGHTEOUS in everything He does; hHe is filled with kindness.
Thank you Lord for the Rest that you gave.
Praying in Downing
I think I need rest after looking at my spelling hahahahahahahaha
God is so good!
Righteous~Our God is Righteous!!
Ps 11:7 For the Lord is righteous; He loves righteousness; The upright will behold His face.
God is a REHABILITATOR.
This is from the Nancy (gulp)
I am really interested in reading your next Atrophied Faith article. I am learning a lot about my own faith from reading your blogs. Some make me mad, some make me glad, some make me worried about you, but some make me worried about ME and my faith.
I was a somewhat Christian 20 yrs ago when my daughter and 15 month old granddaughter were diagnosed with the AIDS virus. Obviously my family was brought to their knees at that time with the terrible grief of knowing that, at that time, they both would die a horrible death. My daughter and her husband belonged to a wonderful church at that time and I joined soon after. In spite of the world-wide ignorance then about the possibility that AIDS was a contagious disease and we were shunned by many...but not at that church. Meghan was welcomed and the church rallied around our family as yours has done with Connor. We were blessed. The point of this tale is to tell you that at that time when all were praying for their total recovery, I would pray with them but always put at the end...thy will be done. Thy will be done stayed in my head until Meghan died at age 6.5 after years of suffering and pain. It was my way of giving God a way out so I could still believe in him after watching my beloved granddaughter suffer and suffer. By the way she never gave up on her belief in Jesus and that she was going to Heaven. She told me that she would gather up all the ladders in heaven and come down and see me from time to time. I actually believe that she has done so several times already. Meghans parents ( my daughter continues to do well) had strong faith and kept it for a time but gradually they have lost their faith. Slowly their faith eroded as their bitterness grew. Fortunately my eldest daughter recently gave Meghan's mother The Shack to read and she found it to be compelling. We are not yet asking for what she means, but for her with her bitterness towards a God she no longer believes in to find it compelling is a beginning for my daughter's return to God.
The reason I get so anxious with your stubborn(smile) faith in "total recovery or bust" is that down deep I do not believe it will happen. I have kept my belief that we need to give in to God's will (and usually it doesn't match my prayers at all)and I now am beginning to realize that I am afraid I will lose my faith in God if I don't just say....I will abide by your will, my Lord. It has always seemed right....now I am beginning to question whether it is just fear in my own faithfulness that keeps me from asking over and over for a miracle.
If I don't ask w.o giving God an out, will I lose my faith??
I recently heard a sermon which touched on briefly "Why doesn't God do miracles anymore"? The pastor was trying to explain that maybe he doesn't do miracles anymore (as in the Bible) because we don't really believe he can.
So, Eric and Connor, keep on making me mad, sad, happy and confused. I am learning from Connor.....and isn't this what it all is about, Eric? Using Connor for learning more about God.
I can say this here for I am anonymous to you....and it is something I have never spoken about to my family..... but I truly believe that Meghan had to die to guarantee my salvation. That is something I have had to deal with ever since. I owe my eternal life to her. The joy of that is that I will see her again for all eternity.
I have to sign anonymous since I don't understand the other choices. So what is an url??
REAL...
not just in existence, but emotionally real. God is real with us. He allows us to be real with Him, even when we aren't too happy with the things He's allowed in our lives. What a strong God, that He desires us to be real with Him, with ourselves, and with each other. Our Rock Solid God can handle it, and grows us as we learn to be real.
Thank you Williamsons for being REAL with us.
Praying always for you,
Lisa Gramann
Durham, NC
Nancy,
I love you! And don't worry about being "anonymous" - you gave mr your real name, and one day, in this life or the next, I will give you a hug and we'll praise our God together. I knew from your first post that you have walked in these shoes, and your comments mean that we get to continue asking these very difficult questions in a very difficult time. Thank you for that, and thank you for sharing a bit of your story. I covet your prayers! Hopefully we will help each other be conformed more closely to the image of Christ.
Cherie and I spoke at length yesterday about your previous comments, and I'll say something I will say again in a future post (if not more) - I believe that my God can restore my son to full health. I believe He will do so. But even if He does not, we will not turn from serving Him.
Here I stand.
Wow, Nancy and Eric, I am humbled by you both. I have found myself very frustrated with God and His seemingly unanswered prayers for Connor. I check into the Blog multiple times daily and feel anger at others you share who have been healed, I wonder if I believe God will heal Connor and then reject that thought for my own atrophied faith and fear.
so today my word is Resolve.......
SW
We have a few days to catch up on, as Jenann explained above - I'll add my words to the appropriate earlier posts (given that my comments tend to get a little lengthy at times, don't they, Linda? :-)
But first - praise God for the miracle of changed hearts! Where would we be if God didn't (as C.S. Lewis said) "stoop to conquer", sometimes using absolutely devastating circumstances in our lives to get our full attention and draw us to Him. Sometimes this happens in a "refining by fire" mode (see Malachi 3) for those who already believe, and sometimes to initially give us a hearts of flesh to replace our hearts of stone (see Ezekiel 36). The hard part is to praise Him in the midst of the trial that is designed to cause us to rely completely on Him and to give Him all the glory for the outcome.
My "R" offering is RECONCILER - amazingly, God does all the heavy lifting in reconciling us to Him through Jesus' blood - for without reconciliation, we could have no relationship with Him:
2 Corinthians 5:16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (NKJV)
And, as we can see, He has charged us with participating with Him in this "ministry of reconciliation" - and Connor, you are doing a HUGE work as an ambassador for Christ as you endure this trial, showing the way to many. Hold fast, my brother!
Risen!
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