Where we stand now

Hello everyone,

After a very long week we stand exhausted and yet completely amazed at the work God has done. For just a few examples: 1. all of us kids work at jobs that put family first.. and had no hesitation in releasing us to the family emergency. 2. From being told that dad had a very small chance of making it to being in a position to start rehab all in a period of 72 hours is extremely miraculous. 3. Uncle Ross being able to come in and spend time with us through it all. 4. Reestablishing relationships we all thought were long gone. 5. There are so many more things but these were at the top of my thoughts.

God is good, seems almost trivial after everything we've been through- but the truth of it is astronomical. We rest there, we live there, we are surviving there. He has provided a SHALOM in the midst of it all- none of us have lost any more sleep, all of us know WHO is in control and WHO is holding - not only dad in his hands- but us too.

Where we stand now is looking at the foothill of a mountain bigger than Mount Everest. For dad to come home he has to go through rehab, retain the control over his body and of course for there to be no more life threatening issues to deal with.

So, for those of you who like specifics... please pray for:
1. Continued stability in his vitals- especially his hemoglobin.
2. That the dialysis be temporary- it's already gone longer than they anticipated- now we need it to stop.
3. That his incontinence be fixed by the time he is released from all programs, so that jobs, and home life will be made easier.
4. For his confusion to dissappear. It's hard to watch the smartest man you know go on about a pet snake that you don't have.
5. Physical strength, after being in bed for 18 days it's hard for anyone, but dad has had even more than that to fight for the last 18 days and now is being told that he needs to be moving in the hallways by this Wednesday... seems like climbing a mountain.
6. For the rest of the family to figure out how to deal with dad being in Grand Rapids and balancing the schedule so that burnout is avoided and dad still has company and support through this process. Burnout is already setting in and we are at what appears to be the beginning of the process.

Thank you for your prayers and may God show his blessing on you like has been felt by all of us.

I am broken and blessed,
Megan