The old year ended and we saw God's goodness and kindness through so many amazing people. The sweet ladies we minister with on Wednesday nights gave us a beautiful food basket with lots of yummy things for us to enjoy. The boys favorite thing in the basket...Krispy Kreme donut coupons. Maybe I should allow them to endulge in this treat a bit more often. Then Mark wouldn't find the need to lick the paper.
Our sweet elderly neighbor gave us a gift for simply being good neighbors. He is too generous, because we could be much better to them. They are in their mid nineties and it is getting harder for them to move around as freely as they would like. So whenever we see their paper in the driveway we run it up to their porch so they don't have to come so far out. As a result, he gave each of the boys five dollars because he said that small act means so much to them. My sweet nursery staff pampered me with lotion and perfume and a gift card to one of my favorite restaurants. There were many more reminders of His goodness but those are the ones that stand out the most.
And as the New Year began we were eager to continue looking for God's goodness. We enjoyed snow fights during the break, Super Mario games, Movies and lots of fun things.
Then the 5th of January happened. My mom was home alone, and she collapsed. When she came to she had bitten into her tongue and her breathing was quite labored. My dad came in from working the late shift and immediately rushed her to the ER. They ran all sorts of tests and there were no signs of a stroke or heart attack. However, my mom has had heart problems since she was a child. So they recommended she call a cardiologist the next day to set up an appointment. Her initial appointment with the cardiologist was on the 7th. By the time she had left the office he had her scheduled for an angiogram for first thing on the 8th. By the afternoon of the 7th her open heart surgery was scheduled for the 11th. She had complications from the angiogram when they released her on the 8th and was rushed right back to the hospital where they found she had a pseudo-aneurysm. So she was admitted for monitoring until her surgery. Her pseudo needed to be repaired, but they would not open her up for any other reason before they took care of her heart.
The surgery took place on the 11th. The doctor told us going in that he had done a heart transplant fellowship before and the surgery mom was going to have done was harder than a heart transplant. The odds were bleak. We waited and prayed for the long six hours of surgery and recovery. The doctor came out and said "Her aorta was one of the worst if not THE worst I've ever seen." It had been damaged from rheumatic fever when she was little. When he saw her on the 12th he told her that she was CENTIMETERS from an aortic rupture and the night she collapsed we are very lucky it didn't happen then. She went on to stay seven days after surgery. And every doctor and nurse who cared for her could not believe how good she looked for just having open heart surgery.
And...we saw God's goodness through it all. One morning I was on the way to the hospital to be there for the ultrasound results from her pseudo. I did not hit one red light--nothing but green. I made it to my mom's room five minutes after I started the engine of my van. We have a friend who specializes in cardiology. When I asked him about the two doctors on the case (of which we had never met nor had referrals to), he said "The surgeon has excellent hands." How great is that to hear when you're trusting him with your heart?! Then he finished by saying, "God hooked you up with some awesome doctors." WOW!! The day of the surgery the surgeon came out and said, "Your mom was my only surgical patient today so I was really able to take my time and watch her good for any bleeds. The surgery was actually done two hours ago, but I wanted to make sure she was good and dry." WHO CLEARS THEIR ENTIRE SCHEDULE FOR ONE PATIENT?! My God does!! Mom's first night in ICU I met a young woman named Olivia--her mother had a brain aneurysm, several days before and did not survive. She was preparing to say good-bye so she could donate her mother's organs. She said, "It all happened so fast. My mom still worked four days a week and helped take care of her grand kids." The whole time I could hear the same words coming out of my mouth. It DID happen so fast. Mom STILL works 42 hours a week. Mom DOES help my single sister with her kids. That could have been me there. But God was writing Mom's story differently. And I got to tell Olivia that I would be lifting her up to the Father by name, that I would ask God for peace to fill her life even when she didn't understand. I hope that she continues still to be surrounded by people who will tell her of her Savior's love for her. I had an amazing support system surrounding me. My husband worked his full time job then came home and did mine. Mark ironed every one's clothes every night. Matthew packed every one's lunches. Friends prayed and stood on the front lines of the battlefield for me in droves. And never before have I felt the battle being fought like I did through this process.
Today she is still going through the healing stage. And make no doubt about it, it is a process. Tomorrow she gets her staples out. She is so ready to have another step behind her. And I continue to see His provision in her life--our lives. I pray that at every turn where we saw God's glory through others, that others saw God's glory through us. He deserves all honor.
So it wasn't the start to the New Year that I was expecting, but none the less we have still seen His goodness above and beyond all that we could have ever imagined. And I am so grateful He let me be a witness to this miracle. Don't ever stop trusting Him for your own miracle. Because He is still in business. Look for it. It's coming.
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