Remembering

Ten years ago today I got a phone call from one of Stephen's co-workers informing me that he was on his way to the ER after suffering a seizure. The ER visit led to some brain scans which revealed a small brain tumor (this coming just a few years after his father's death from brain cancer). A few weeks later Stephen underwent two brain surgeries to remove the tumor (benign, praise God!). And that began the long recovery.

A few days before surgery

I won't go into all of the details - there are many hard memories for us. But this day can't go by without naming a few blessings...

We were continually upheld by the Lord's right hand. There were lots of tears and lots of fears, but the Lord carried us through and gave us strength to face each fear and to walk through each day.

The Lord provided for us well during the time that Stephen was off work (and I was no longer working since Luke was three months old at the time). Friends cared for Luke while I spent time at the hospital, and my parents came and stayed with us for a time...moral support and child-care all rolled into one (or two). And then there was Boeing's short-term disability plan which meant that paychecks continued to come in.

And we could not have asked for more loving and caring family and friends who spent time in prayer with us at the hospital or who just came and sat and waited during surgery or brought us tasty food. We also received a large number of cards from friends around the world who encouraged us to continue to trust in the Lord and who prayed for healing for Stephen.

We are thankful for Stephen's good health today, and it's rather hard to believe that it ever happened. God has been so kind in restoring his health fully and for how He has continued to lead us.

I remember friends commenting how encouraged they were to see us continuing to trust God through such a difficult circumstance, and my thought was, and still is, "What else can you do?" Honestly, what else is there to do? You just lean on Him, and He carries you. 

Praise God - He's still carrying us.  

Ten years later