On Loan For 29yrs And Counting

I can't believe it was almost 30 yrs ago we wondered if the Lord was going to let us keep Stevie. Not only did he have to stay in the hospital 9 days after birth for being underweight but also jaundiced so bad they were considering a blood transfusion. 5 months later he was under a hospital oxygen tent with double pneumonia and a partially collapsed lung. You could hear him sucking in each breath  with a high-pitched wheeze as we came off the elevator down the hall each morning.

 When they brought the thing in to suction his lungs, to have it close by as a last resort, I began spending the nights with him. That's when I noticed my first grey hair, sticking out like a very long white strand of kinky steel wool, at age 28. In a pivotal moment in my faith I knew I had to bring my mind to a point that I really wanted what God wanted in order to have the peace that real trust can bring. We never know the number of days God planned for us. If this was all the days He intended Stevie to bless our lives with then that's what I should want too. I could no longer pray to let me keep him. I mentally placed Stevie's body into God's arms and had peace with knowing he belonged to Him anyway, and put His will over mine. Who can know the mind of God? He wanted Stevie to stay here for now, and He wanted me to come to a place of learning how to trust. Learning to give God the reins isn't a once-and-for-all event though. We have to make the decision to trust on a regular basis. It doesn't come without a mental battle, where you win when you surrender.

Through the years he began to outgrow some problems. Like the aspirations caused by uncoordination between breathing and swallowing which probably caused his asthma attacks. The tiny hole in his heart became "unremarkable". His undersized esophagus seemed to expand just enough to minimize food choking spells. You wouldn't think now that he had any of those problems. He has been a happy, friendly kid enjoying life, and many people enjoy their time with him as well.

 Psa 71:6  By You I have been sustained from my birth; You are He who took me from my mother's womb; My praise is continually of You.

Stephen and His Mom's Friends

Stevie has no choice about some of his "friends". Since he must accompany me most of the time when I leave the house for very long he is forced to put up with my choice of friends.

I shouldn't say forced though, because he loves just about anything that gets him out of the house and has formed more of an attachment to my friends than I wonder that I have. After all he has grown up with them and they accommodate him joyfully with love as well as incessant teasing.

Our last big friend activity for this summer was a day trip to Saugatuck to ride the Star of Saugatuck, a 1 hr cruise with historical narration. Then to the exciting part, a 30 min dune ride. There was a 10 min stop on a hill overlooking the scenery with lake Michigan in the distance.

Our Rock Through All The Ages

Many authors of the old hymns use almost poetic wording at times. It's worth it to take the time to understand what we are singing. 

Throughout the ages Messiah was prophesied as the only Redemption from our guilt, the Rock to build an uncrumbling faith on.  Our sin cannot be in the presence of God's holiness, so being a loving Father, God protected Moses from His presence using His own hand to shield him in a cleft of a rock, a picture of Messiah's salvation. Ex. 33:22.

When Christ's sacrifice became our ransom He provided our only access to God's presence, a hiding place from the Fathers justice. Just as Moses did not merit receiving God's presence or protection, it is only because of a loving Father's own choice that we receive unmerited favor from His own hand.

No amount of works or sorrow can justify us, we can only stand before the Father enrobed in the fulfillment of that ancient promise. Shielded within the protecting cleft of the One who paid the ransom for the demanded wages of our sinfulness.

Although Moses was burdened with trials traveling outside a homeland, God provided strength, sustenance and even joy, as well as a future hope. Just as he does for His own people today

"If we are of that ROCK, then we are the children of Abraham, the children of faith. We are in Christ Jesus, the Seed of Abraham. We are Sons of the same Father God, joint heirs with Christ, our ROCK" (Joseph Gaut - righteousnessofjesus.com/our-rock) - Isaiah 51:1-2, Ephes 1:15, Rom 8:15













 

Saying Goodbye Isn't Quite as Bad As It Used To Be

Our very dear friends are moving from our area (NW Ind) to Oklahoma. Stevie and Shawn have known each other fro many years since early rehab classes, and now they are young men about to enter their 30's. Their vocabulary may not be easily understood by anyone else but they communicated perfectly to each other and even though, because of a 40 min drive, they didn't get together often they were always best friends and their phone calls could last up to an hour. I cherished the time spent and the phone calls with his mom Bonnie as well. Besides having sons with Down Syndrome in common, we are Christian sisters and could share our life, knowing we could understand where each other was coming from.

This social networking age makes it less sad, and less difficult to keep relations going pretty much the same, except for the physical contact you crave from someone's company. We have still yet to get the Skype camera thing up and going but that will help take care of one void when you long to see a friendly face you've been missing.