For those of you that are interested, I thought I would let you know that Brad and I are doing alright. The past few weeks have been pretty rough. Seriously. It's been a terrible, horrible, no good, very very bad month. I am chuckling (just a little) as I say that, because in the midst of this nightmare known as my-rocky-start-to-2009, I can honestly say I know we will survive, and we will come out stronger on the other side.
One week ago, Brad had to have a second surgery. Evidently, the first one wasn't enough. His wound wasn't healing like it needed to, and the doctor had to go back in for exploratory surgery to try to fix the problem before it got any worse. Then we went back to the doctor yesterday, and the doctor still didn't like what he saw. There is still a possibility that Brad will have to be admitted to the hospital for a few days if we can't get this thing under control! I will keep you updated on how this goes, as soon as we know more.
Though, as hard as this has been, we don't have to look hard to find blessings in all of this. God has been so good to us! We have such amazing friends and family to encourage us and support us. And when we start to feel overwhelmed, we try to remember that we need to take it one day at a time.
This is what we are clinging to:
Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.
If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.
Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life.
So, my very dear friends, don't get thrown off course. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle. He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures.
James 1:2-8, 12, 16-18 (The Message)
