These things don't happen "to us" or our family, or so we think.
Medical tragedies happen to, people out there somewhere, or so we think.
When our oldest son Drew called this past Saturday, he was so distraught, I couldn't understand a word he said. Tammy held the phone close, and made out the words, "Dash's kidneys shut down and they have failed."
We jumped in the car immediately, and drove all through the night. With a thickness in our throats and tears in our eyes we raced to be with our family.
I haven't prayed this hard or often in my whole life. I've been knocking hard on Heaven's door, begging God, as I know many of our friends and family have been. Holding Dash, and watching our son and daughter-in-law go through hell puts a lot of life in perspective, quickly.
The news then got worse. Just when you think it can't get worse, it was discovered Dash was born with a triple heart defect, including a restricted aorta. He will now stay in the hospital after his kidneys begin to function, for heart surgery.
And, Dash's dialysis procedures have all been difficult. Why can't anything be easy?
I'm not the person of prayer I should be. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but prayer isn't my strong point, or at least it wasn't. Bible reading, that comes easy. Singing, worshipping, serving, or doing a lot of other Christian activities, those all come easily, but praying hasn't before. Now, I don't think five waking minutes have passed, since we heard the news about Dash, that I haven't been in prayer.
The first sensation -- once I finally comprehended the news was fear, the chilling ache that hits the pit of your stomach. Then you feel helpless, as a grandparent and a parent to children (son & daughter-in-law) whose child is fighting for his life. Then comes the bargaining with God part... Those were all probably fruitless. But a peace does come, a sense of God's hand at work. Even though the road ahead is longer than we would like, it is a road our family won't walk alone. Prayer does work.
The love and support and encouragement of so many people across so many spectrums has shown us God's love in many unexpected ways. God must have huge plans for our grandson Dash, and I can't wait to hear all the ways God is going to be glorified through this. I don't doubt, not for a second, God's hand on Dash.
"The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." (Psalm 34:15-18 ESV)
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