These Things I Know

One of the things I find comfort in is recalling the attributes of God. These are things about God that are never changing. In both good times and difficult times, God is faithful and dependable. He is loving and calls me his child. He is full of mercy and peace. He is consistent and unflappable regardless of the circumstances we find ourselves in. He is all powerful and able to do more than we can ask or even imagine. He alone is in control and knows what is best for me, his child. He loves me more than I can understand. He is all-knowing and sees the big picture, when I only see the little snapshot of life that is before me now.

Yesterday, while Jim was at the hospital undergoing his lumbar puncture, I was home praying for him and listening to a CD of music that my cousin, Erin, put together and mailed to us. These are a collection of songs about God’s faithfulness – songs that Erin found comforting herself and wanted to share with us. As I listened to this music, I found myself taken aback by who God is. “All I have needed thy hand hath provided. Great is thy faithfulness.” "He's always been faithful to me."

There are many circumstances in my life where I have experienced God’s goodness and faithfulness. When the words “Down syndrome” were spoken to me about my youngest son, I thought my world was coming apart. Jim and I held on tight to each other and asked God to help up on this journey. Then we put one foot in front of the other. What we found out was there are so many hidden blessings in having a child with Down syndrome. As Jim lays on our couch, feeling as low as he can be, Kyle comes beside him and kisses Jim’s bald head and pats his shoulder. I see a tear fall from Jim’s eye as he is moved by Kyle’s tenderness and love.

When our middle son, Steven, was diagnosed 6 years ago with cystic fibrosis, I thought – Lord, isn’t this more than I can handle? Jim reminded me how we move forward – we put one foot in front of the other as trust in our God. What I found out was that God is in control, and that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. And God has blessed in what many would consider a difficult situation. What could have been a devastating illness for Steven has turned out not to be the case. Steven presents very mildly and is able to manage his health relatively easily. He is on less medication than the typical patient with CF and has never been hospitalized since his initial diagnosis. He has maintained excellent lung function over the past 6 years - usually over 100%. And he has grown in his faith as we trust God every step of the way.

We have looked to God to provide in other areas of our lives – from job changes to cities we’ve lived in to education for our children and more. As Jim and I were discussing this blog post he shared this with me. “I was taught God was the Great Provider as I was growing up. When my Dad was laid off for 2 ½ years while I was in high school and college, I experienced God as the Great provider. And 10 years from now, when I look back on this time, I will say, I knew God was the Great Provider.”

Yesterday we received a call from the University of Michigan. We are scheduled for a consultation next week Tuesday. We will meet with the doctor and a nurse coordinator much like when did when we traveled to IU Med Center. We are pleased to be moving forward in this process, however understandably a little nervous. But, as we continue to put one foot in front of the other, we will continue to trust God each step of the way. We are grateful for all of you who continue to lift us up in prayer. Our God is good, and He is the faithful one.