During Times of a Trial

I heard a book review on the radio that I thought was worth sharing considering the difficult last few weeks seeing our nephew Micah so seriously ill.

Handholds of Faith
1. God allowed it.
2. Face the facts.
3. Go ahead and grieve.
4. What does God say?(See Job chapters 41-42.)
5. Don't rehearse the hurt.
6. Take time to practice His truth.
7. Share your past, don't waste your sorrows.

These thoughts are from Kay Arthur's book, When the Hurt Runs Deep. She mentioned that Job faced severe trials and he comes to the place where he realizes that God is trustworthy. We can place our pain in His hands.

"May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our LORD. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he granted to us his precious and very great promises..." II Peter 1:vv.2-4

Sally's Comment

My sister,Sally is little Micah's grandmother. We both have the great joy of being grandparents, but along with that also comes the pain when one of these little ones suffer greatly. Seeing Micah with a feeding tube and IV's and so weak was HARD!

Yesterday Sally reminded me of my comment at our father's funeral. I told the congregation how thankful I was for parents who took time to have family devotions every night after dinner. Then I told how I would listen to "The Reading" (the Bible) from the living room couch when I was recovering from encephalitis. Dad said he would give a quarter to the child who could recite Isaiah 40:31. So I struggled slowly into the bright kitchen and said, "They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run at not grow weary, they shall walk and not faint." Then I claimed my 25 cents.

I was weak for months but gradually renewed my strength. Now all these years later I actually walked and RAN in a 5K race in Birmingham, Alabama a few weeks ago! PTL!

Family Crisis

My sister's 5 year old grandson, Micah Morrison developed complications called ADEM after a case of viral pneumonia. A very simple explanation for non-medical people that my physician husband gave me was antibodies changed from attacking the infection to attacking the brain and spinal cord. Little Micah was rushed to Vanderbilt Childrens Hospital unable to walk, talk or swallow. It was a very critical situation that we having been following by reading The Micah Mandate.blogspot.com. We have been very grateful for great medical care and a physician who told my nephew that Micah was in the "Great Physician's hands". Yes, there has been many prayers upholding this young family, Matt and Ginny and their other 2 children as well.
Memories of my own bout of encephalitis after mumps when I was 15 years old came flooding back to me. The extreme pain of light too bright and noise too loud, the high fever and inability to stand up were suddenly vividly recalled. My case was not as severe as Micah's, but I was in the bed for a month and weak for 6 months. I also had a loving family who supported me with many prayers to our loving Heavenly Father.
Today I cried as I watched the video posted of Micah out of his hospital bed actually WALKING!
My husband and I visited him in that room just Friday night and his legs were totally limp. But we sang an old song that I learned from my mother and father in Sunday School when I was a child. This song made Micah smile...

"It's bubbling, it's bubbling, it's bubbling in my soul,
They're singing and laughing since Jesus made me whole,
Folks don't understand it,nor people reason why,
It's bubbling, bubbling, bubbling day and night!"

We don't understand, but we do trust the One who does and who promised to be with us ALWAYS!