One Step Up Two Steps Back – Gotta Remember

This round stinks. Tonight, while speaking with Hanna, she stated that she is not worried, God has pulled Rachael through other hard times and he will do it again. That was encouraging to hear. Through all of this we need to remember, Jesus is Lord. He is in charge of it all.
Rachael had shown improvement later yesterday and into the night. She was put on a full liquid diet which includes colored liquids, yogurts, soups and puddings. She ate 2 small containers of chocolate pudding last night. This morning, upon getting her first sip of coffee, she stopped sipping and vomited. It looked as though the pudding did not get digested. Since this morning she has only had 8 oz. of broth. She is not hungry. Later this evening she spiked a 102 fever.

It is not a good scene here. Rachael is being fed via a PIC line with nutrients supplied to her in a bag. They have to check her blood sugar twice a day and also check blood chemistry to assure us all that the nutrients are sufficient for nourishment. She has not had even a small meal in 12 days. She now is yelling out with what is left of her vocal strength. She has been given valium which did nothing for her and now diladid. The diladid did seem to calm her down. Nancy is a wreck and does not want to go home. It was quite a blow as we thought last night that she was on her way to getting back to the new normal. Then she was sick this morning.

April was a whirlwind. Rachael had been in the hospital following a severe blockage. She returned home and within a few days, Nancy accompanied Hanna's class on a great missions trip to North Carolina. It was an incredible blessing and a refreshing time for both of them. They were in the mountains for a week working with homeless adults and disabled kids with their families. The Lord blessed that window of time for the 2 of them to have a respite from these past 9 months of near monthly hospital crisis. The day they returned, Rachael took ill.

Since August 11^th, Rachael has not been out of the hospital for more than a month at a time! She has been through so much: Subtotal colectomy, separate surgeries on her thighs for contracture release, a girdle stone surgery, before she would be over one procedure, she would be slammed with another. Yes it takes its toll on her and all of us. It is just not easy. Yet, it is very true, our God sustains us. Jesus is alive and His word gives us a hope, not in the situation with Rachael, just a sense of hope for a better time. We do know that is coming for all of us that believe in His name. During times such as these we need to remember who we are in Christ and what we are in Christ.

His ^ddivine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him ^ewho called us by glory and virtue, ^4 fby which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be ^gpartakers of the divine nature, having escaped the ³corruption that is in the world through lust.

2 Peter 1:3-4

Ever find something and say "I forgot I had that!" That can easily happen with the promises of God if we allow the enemy to pull us away by creating circumstances to take our focus. We need to always remember what we have in Christ. We are His kids, adopted by Him, a plan laid out for us by Jesus Christ, the creator of all things. Even when our "eyelids are being held open" and there is no escape from grief, we need to remember…

And I said, "This is my ³anguish;

But I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High."

¹¹    I will remember the works of the Lord;

Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.

¹²    I will also meditate on all Your work,

And talk of Your deeds.

¹³    Your way, O God, is in ⁴the ^csanctuary;

Who is so great a God as our God?

¹⁴    You are the God who does wonders;

You have declared Your strength among the peoples.

¹⁵    You have with Your arm redeemed Your people,

The sons of Jacob and Joseph.

                        Psalm 77

    

I think it was Pastor Chuck Smith that had basically said that when you fall upon what you don't know, go back to what you do know. Good advice! 'Surely I will remember Your wonders of old. I will also meditate on all Your work.' Yes the going is weird and when the going gets weird, the weird remember God. Mediate on what our Lord has done. We can find strength in what Jesus has done in our lives and the promises of what he will continue to do. 

Hanna was so simple in her response tonight when I asked if she was handling this ok. Straight up remembering God's work so far with Rachael and banking on what is going to happen. Yet, whatever is in store, we are willing to walk the walk. It is not easy, we are going nuts, the stress is high. It has been a long hard slog these past 9 months. I lose it on the staff on occasion and feel such the idiot for doing so. We make up and move on. 

Gotta remember. All the magnificent things our Lord has done. All the lost that do not know what is there for them. Gotta remember. All the people we have met through Rachael, some coming to Christ by a seed planted from meeting us. Gotta remember. All the folks that have said what an encouragement they feel seeing us through this season. Gotta remember His works, His mighty hand! He is the God who does wonders. Gotta remember that when we are at our weakest, we are strong without trying. 
Continue to pray, please pray much. 

Blessings,
Burt and Nancy