Update / Prayer

Answered Prayers & Good News Ahead!

Ever had an "unanswered" prayer? At least, "unanswered" according to what you would have wanted, or what would have "made sense" to you?

The fact is God answers prayers, according to His will.

But I have had prayers that God answered differently than for what I asked. So what to do about it?

Well, there are many things you could do about it. (Otherwise put, there are many ways you could choose to respond.)

God keeps teaching me all sorts of things, and after a while, God repeatedly brings me to a point of...being firmly reminded to be still and know that He is God. Sovereign. Trust Him. For dear ones who have loved Jesus Christ, who God has called home to glory, I know that His glory is demonstrated and revealed. God knows. Far beyond what I know. Far beyond what would "make sense" to me, to us. And this is good.

Although I have "unanswered" prayers in my life, this experience has been full of "answers." Please know that we do not believe that God answers prayers like some "genie in a bottle," who grants wishes. God is sovereign, and He has a plan far beyond our comprehension.

How have your "unanswered" prayers resulted in God's glory?

Medical advocacy is not something I just "picked up." It is something with which I was raised. I give thanks to God for my dad, who serves as a strong example of an advocate for my mom, who has lived with a chronic illness through her entire adult life (feel free to pray/read about it on the CarePages site: hewillneverleaveyou.)

Even at best, a good medical advocate is still only an imperfect human - nothing compared to the constant, perfect spiritual advocacy we have as Christians. We give thanks to God for this truth!

"We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." I John 2:1b

“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." John 14:15-17

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God." Romans 8:26-27

While we stand up for those we love, medically, academically, financially, etc., join us in honoring and glorifying God for hearing our prayers, spoken and unspoken. We give thanks to God for answering prayers according to His sovereign will.

WE GIVE THANKS TO GOD FOR YOUR CONTINUED AND FAITHFUL PRAYERS!

Tuesday, April 1: Physical Therapy Session here at home. Therapist measures a loss of 10-12 degrees of ankle motion in one week's time, when reconstructive doc ordered for Tim's boot to be removed due to a stage 3 pressure sore on Tim's heel. This loss of motion is a regression - a minor setback compared to what could regress, looking at the big picture.

Basically, when the boot is removed, Tim's foot relaxes and naturally "falls" forward in rest position. In a healthy ankle, we can flex our foot and point our toes. Due to Tim's injuries at the ankle, Tim's foot simply falls forward and stays there if the boot is not there to provide adjustable support.

Therapist calls orthopedic & reconstructive doc offices to line up a prescription for another custom brace for Tim's left leg, one that will offer enough support for the foot and leg, while completely avoiding the heel area.

THANK YOU to Brother Brent for fixing our bathtub and a bin door in the barn.

Wednesday, April 2: Dr. appt. with reconstructive surgeon (NE GR). We give thanks to God that Tim's head wound is healing well enough to continue to allow it to heal on its own, without moving forward with a skin graft. Doc continues to be thrilled with Tim's muscle flap & skin graft. Tim's stage 3 pressure sore on his heel is clean & slowly closing. Doc's orders stand: Tim remains weight-bearing as tolerated with leg boot/brace, to be custom made. Doc is okay with, once again, extending appts. to every other week, instead of every week.

Thursday, April 3: Physical Therapy session here at home.

Weekly appt. (NE GR) with hand therapist to recast Tim's left-hand ring finger. Gained 5 degrees. Giving thanks to God that Tim's finger is now casted at 25 degrees. He started at 50 degrees. The goal is to reach 0 (zero) degrees. We expect occupational therapy when we reach the maximum degree possible.

THANK YOU to my brother, Jeremy, who drove Tim to this appt. I stayed home with sick children, and I was able to rest as well.

THANK YOU to Andrew Lawerence, from the parts yard across the street, who popped over Thursday morning to help set up for the butchering of 3 steer, which turned out "beautifully," as Tim puts it.

Friday, April 4: Added Dr. appt. to this week's agenda - (GR Med. Mile) with orthopedic surgeon. We give thanks to God that hip to ankle x-rays of Tim's left leg continue to show that his broken bones have healed. As doc reminded us, instead of dealing with bone issues at this time, we are facing soft-tissue issues. Orthopedic doc follows reconstructive doc's orders to have a custom brace made for Tim's leg. Next appt. with orthopedic surgeon is in May.

While at this appt., orthotics casted a mold of Tim's leg and will have a custom brace made within 10 days. Please pray that this brace will successfully allow Tim to gain range of motion in his ankle.

THANK YOU to Cousin Jonathan Levering for driving us today. Our children are sick (croup, fevers, coughs, etc.) and they are awake through the night. I am not sleeping well, but today I was able to simply rest my eyes for a bit while Jonathan drove.

Tim was not able to make it into work this week, as M-F he had medical appts. in our home and in docs' offices. He was able to work a bit from home.

Upcoming, Lord-willing:

Giving thanks to God that we are home together this Spring Break, for this gift of time together.

Monday, April 7: Home nurse comes to our home.

Tuesday, April 8: Physical Therapy Session in our home

Wednesday, April 9: Appt. with hand therapist (NE GR) to recast finger.

Thursday, April 10: Physical Therapy Session in our home

Friday, April 11: Our oldest son, Caleb, turns 12. Giving thanks to God that we can celebrate together!

Tim would like to go into work this week. Day/s and time/s to be determined.

Looking forward to each Sunday, as well as Palm Sunday & Easter Sunday! Ever grateful.

THANK YOU for the MEALS that you continue to bring over! We are amazed at the giving, benevolent hearts of God's people. THANK YOU for those of you who drive me to late-night prescription pick-up and grocery runs. :) We give thanks to God that we are a part of His precious family!

Ever grateful to God for your continued and faithful prayers.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!