Covered

We have been covered by the love of God's people in an overwhelming way this Christmas.  When things like this happen in our family, my world gets real small.  All I can do is focus on my kids and every ounce of my energy and time is spent on them...that was no different this time with Sophie Kate's hospitalization and subsequent recovery from home.  It has been our family, friends, church and community that has come along beside us and taken care of everything else.  And I literally mean everything else, from laundry to grocery shopping to even Christmas shopping and then there have been folks who have come to stay with Sophie Kate so that I can get out and folks who have brought us dinner, kept the boys, cleaned the house and the list goes on and on.  We have felt such an outpouring.  

I have been told by several people that we are "covered in prayer."  I know without a doubt that we are because I can feel it, I truly can. There is a lightening of the burden, you don't feel the weight of it so intensely because it is shared among so many.  I don't mean that they feel what we feel but that by interceding on our behalf we are strengthened and supported in ways we can't even put into words.  How else can you explain being able to function on 4 hours of sleep over 2 nights?  I specifically asked some to pray that any sleep we were able to get would be deep, restful and healing to us because I knew we would not be getting much of it staying in the ICU.  God touches every aspect of our lives to prepare us for our journey.  He sets our path before us and determines our steps and then strengthens us by His mighty power to accomplish it.  It is nothing that we could possibly ever do on our own, the task is far too difficult and the pain is too much to bear alone.  God is meeting all our needs even in difficulty.  As much as I would love a miraculous healing for our girl, I don't need a miracle to know that God loves me and my family...He shows me in so many ways and one of those is through His people who love us. 

Christmas will be a bit different for us this year.  Our girl is still recovering so there is no travel in our Christmas plans this year.  We are so grateful to be home and to be seeing a few smiles from her and to know that she is getting stronger each day.  There will still be meds and breathing treatments on Christmas day and I will be glad to do them from the comfort of our home.  In between all the machines and cords she has monitoring her we will make room for her presents and I know her brothers will be more than happy to help her open them.  Even more important than any of that stuff we will honor our King that came in the most humble of ways to live among us and to die for us, rising three days later to conquer sin and death once and for all...that is where our hope lies and where our hearts long to spend eternity.  

My gift this Christmas will be waking up with these 5 people I love so dearly.  A breathing tube just 2 short weeks ago threw a lot of things in perspective for me, just seeing her beautiful face each morning free from that tube and the struggle that was all over her face is the sweetest gift of all. There are still blessings to be found in hard times.  We are blessed beyond what we deserve.

Luke 2:10-11 "And the angel said unto them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto is born this day in the city of David, a Savior which is Christ the Lord."

Merry Christmas friends.