More than two weeks have passed and Mom is still in the ICU on a ventilator. She continues to need full ventilator support and is fighting three lung infections. They tried to back off the ventilator settings but her oxygen levels drop. The level of inflammation rages on. It’s like waiting for a house on fire to burn out before rebuilding again. Her condition is neither better or worse.
Despite her poor condition, we managed to FaceTime Mom with the help of the nurses. Again, it was comforting to see the alertness in her eyes. I shared a worship thought of Mom as a modern-day Dorcas. David and the kids sang for Mom. When Dad sang Moon River accompanied by Deborah, Mom’s forehead crinkled. You could see the longing in her eyes.
The first day Mom was intubated I was scared. More than two weeks later the acuity of the terror is replaced with less shocking yet unsettling thoughts. How long will this go on? What will Mom be like after everything is over?
Genesis 1:1,2 have surprisingly brought me comfort:
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
In the Hebrew, the word for “formless” can also mean confusion. The word for “darkness” can be a metaphor for sorrow, misery death and destruction. These words describe how I have felt at times since Mom was hospitalized – confused, empty, and sorrowful.
Then read what follows, “…and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” It’s as if the Scripture is telling us whenever you are experiencing confusion or emptiness or sorrow, pay attention because the Spirit of God is hovering nearby.
Think about the times that most shaped you. What are those moments that made you the person you are today? You will likely point to a painful experience. You wouldn’t wish that anguish on your enemy. And yet in the midst of it you found a strength beyond you. Something outside you kept you going.
It’s tough for our family right now. It’s even harder for Mom. Yet a Divine Strength has kept us going. It’s kept Mom going. Your prayers, thoughts and comments keep us going, too. Whatever pain you may be going through, the Spirit of God is hovering nearby.
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Ate Nida and your family are always in our prayers. The whole church is praying for you everyday.
We continue to pray for sister Nida and your family. May God’s promises continue to sustain you and may you feel His embrace more than ever. God is with you. Blessings always.
Sharing you this Andrew:
“Sometimes, God shows up; sometimes God shows off.
God’s timing is impeccable. He’s never late. He’s never early. He is right on time all the time.
I don’t believe in coincidences. I believe in providences. I believe there is a God in heaven who directs our steps, who prepares good works in advance, who cause all things to work together for good, who fights our battles for us. And if you pray through, there will be a breakthrough.
Don’t lose heart
Don’t lose hope!
Don’t lose faith!
Don’t lose patience!
Maybe you have been interceding for a child who has walked away from the faith. Maybe you have been believing for reconciliation in your marriage. Maybe you’ve been waiting for a healing miracle, a financial miracle, or an opportunity miracle.
KEEP ASKING! KEEP SEEKING! KEEP KNOCKING!
God rarely does things how or when we expect Him to and it leads us to question His strange and mysterious ways. I’m sure the Israelites questioned God’s battle plan at Jericho. They would have preferred to storm the gates or scale the walls, but God told them to circle the city for seven days! It didn’t make any sense. It had to feel like forever. But they kept circling.
Sometimes, God will push us to our absolute limits – the limits of our faith and of our patience. That is how God stretches our faith and builds our character. What if the Israelites had stopped circling Jericho on day six? What if Elijah had quit praying for rain after his sixth request? Or what if Naaman had only dipped in the river six times? The answer is obvious: the miracle would have been forfeited right before it happened.
I don’t know what you’ve been circling for the past forty days or forty weeks or forty years. I don’t know if you’ve gotten a YES, or a NO or a NOT YET! You’ve got to PRAISE GOD if the answer is YES and TRUST HIM if the answer is NO! If the answer is NOT YET, you’ve got to KEEP CIRCLING! It’s always too soon to give up. What other options do you have? To pray or not to pray. Those are the only options.
So, go ahead, keep praying! KEEP CIRCLING!”
~Excerpts from Draw The Circle, by Mark Batterson, New York Times Best-selling Author of The Circle Maker
•POSTSCRIPT: You are encircled within my circle of prayer.
Continued prayers from your friends at Hayden Lake Church.
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. “Phil 4:6