Treasure in jars of clay

In the very first blog post in March, titled "The Beginning" I wrote..."Hard to believe that this whole crazy life-altering syndrome only presented itself one week ago! So much has happened this week. In this post, I (Flora) will attempt to catch everyone up to speed on events to this point and then we will update daily as he continues to improve. We look forward to the day that Dad can read this blog on his own and marvel, along with us, at all of the ways provision came at just the right moment. I will try to record the good, bad, and the ugly so that Dad already has an outline ready when he decides to write his book." Well, beautiful blog readers, Dad was able to read those words for the first time yesterday, for himself. (see pic) Mom said he started at the beginning and read to March 30 then was tired...no doubt!! It's an exhausting story. I can't imagine reading your own story- when you've been there for all of it but not always present. Even for those of us who were present it still seems like a bizarre dream.

Dad, as you read this blog I hope, like I initially wrote, you can "marvel at all the ways provision has come at just the right time," but I hope you also can tangibly see that you are SURROUNDED by people who love you and have been caring for you and Mom in ways sometimes too "small" to make it on the blog (running errands, checking in by phone, sending a card, sitting quietly at your bedside, etc.) because there were so many instances like that and the blog would have become overloaded with endless lists of "Thank yous!"  and sometimes in ways too BIG to make it on the blog- generous acts that we chose to keep private because they were so monumental.

I tell you what, this blog has been hopping these last few days as I have had to continually update the number of people who are saying they want to pray and fast on your behalf this week. I've added 13 people just since I started writing this blog entry. A friend of my side of the family, whom I don't know if you ever have meet, who is going through some significant health issues herself, said that she would be praying and fasting for you this week. I was humbled to tears and told her that "we were praying for HER!" And she wrote back-

"God knew what He was doing when He set up the church. It is so good for us to support one another. Knowing I can pray for someone else helps me to get my mind off myself and makes me feel like I'm doing something. God knew we would need each other and feel the most satisfied when helping one another. I really believe that!!"

Also, I hope you find encouragement in how far you really have come. We have tried to write this blog honestly but we have at times chosen to emphasize the good over the bad. Each day was so full of both. We tried to give a complete picture, but each day, especially early on, was filled with so many pieces- many of them dark or confusing. Like when I'd write something like "His BP has been alternating between high and low but has settled down now. Goldilocks would approve." What I wasn't writing was that I was sitting in the ICU room unable to peel my eyes away from your A line monitor that showed your BP to be "84/55 at 4:15 am" then jumped to  "202/109 at 4:23" then 10 minutes later dropped to "108/56" (I looked back at the notes I was keeping that night. It was crazy! Every few minutes you would jump or drop 100 points!) It seemed like those days we lived minute to minute. Like the day you got transferred from UC to LTAC, and I told Tim, "Something is wrong. Those vital signs are within normal range but not HIS normals." So we sat staring at your machines and Tim (as a way of coping with my rising panic) made a chart and set his alarm for 1-minute intervals and charted your changes...sure enough- within 30 minutes your trach was bleeding and thus started the events of March 27th that included emergency surgery, a raging infection, and a stay in 2 more ICUs.

When I would write things like "Tim is sleeping bedside" or "Becky and Mom stayed at the hospital in the sleeping room" it was because the nights were often terrifying and we wanted to be close by. The trach dressing changes were the worst- your heart rate dropped to the 20's multiple times. It was a horrible awful time and I can confidently say that we only made it through because God carried us.

Why am I emphasizing how bad you were? Because, even in the darkness we felt God at work. Your friends and family are praying for you this week and we are confident that God will be glorified.


1Corinthians 4

 1 Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart... 5 For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord,and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed,but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake,so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

13 It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak,14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself.15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

16 Therefore we do not lose heart.Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.