The God of All Grace Sends Showers of Blessings in a Season of Drought {One Thing Our Marriages Desperately Need Today ~~ A Husband's Heartfelt Words as His Wife's Heart was Weak #HeartMonth}

{To read Part 1, the beginning of the series:

"A Husband's Heartfelt Words as His Wife's Heart Was Weak"

click here first.}

Every small step forward was exhausting.

Even the most basic needs of life: breathing and eating were difficult and overwhelming.

After weaning off the breathing machine, my CO2 levels began to rise again and the Bi-PAP machine became necessary during sleep. I didn't fight it this time around as I knew it was something I needed to accept and adjust to in order to go home.

Although I was hoping to be home in time for my son's birthday, I was devastated when told that would not be possible. Planning for a celebration at the hospital began and my sister also started planning a party for him at home with family and friends. 

So many people poured into our lives—with prayers, generous provisions, practical help, powerful words and plenty of acts of kindness. 

In the great heaviness and black clouds, God showered us with needed, plenteous, and varied blessings.

In a season of drought, God caused saturating showers of grace.



We had been in this place for almost two months, when Jon wrote on October 24:

We are creations of complexity—all of us! Fearfully, and wonderfully made in the image of God.

There is no simplicity in that. Every major thing that comes into our lives here and now affects us emotionally, physically, and spiritually. We are not numb, unaware, or untouched by trial, pain, and difficulty. How else would we grow and be strengthened if life was nothing but a bowl of cherries, a bed of roses, a walk in the park? How else would a patient and loving God get our attention if all we did was sail on seas of glass?

The hardships are needful for us—even though our world opposes that thinking and we do not normally invite or desire problems, but we will experience them because we're human, mortal, and fallen.

But we are not without sound hope!

Total conformity into the image of His dear Son—that's our Creator's ultimate plan for us. He will not rest till He has completed His good work in us.

"After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To Him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen." (1 Peter 5:10-11) 

This past week has been very encouraging watching Rebekah's progress.

Moving to our seventh room here in the ICU after almost 2 months, having her tracheostomy downsized to a smaller one that has allowed her to talk again, be corked and be breathing entirely from her upper airways again instead of out of her throat. She slept last night for the first time corked all night, unassisted by tracheotomy mask. (There was talk of taking the tracheotomy right out completely today but this will happen after 48 hrs of successful corking.)  

We had a fluoroscopic video swallow study done, which she passed, allowing her to begin a regular diet again. (I had the privilege of watching her skeleton on a large screen ingesting barium, applesauce, liquids and crackers.) Her feeding tube was removed last evening and now they want to see her maintaining her calorie levels on her own from regular meals. If she can, then the tube will remain out. She can now swallow pills again for meds instead of nauseating injections through the feeding tube. 

A barrage of new tests at the beginning of this week show progress with heart, lung function, and even diaphragm, (although still weak) appears to be moving in sync now with lung expansion. Praise God for a healing and strengthening phrenic motor/sensory nerve to drive the main breathing muscles in her diaphragm. 

Rebekah is still assisted all the time with only 2 litres of O2 to support her lung function. We continue to pray that she will not need to come home with any O2 support at all. Also, we pray that the persistent and nasty colonized bug that has inflamed her bladder and caused it to be very angry—inciting further bleeding and clotting—will go away and stop for good after 14 days of focussed IV antibiotics.

We seem to be climbing upwards and the path is getting brighter. Movement to the general floor is quite possible going forward into this next week. I cautiously would guesstimate that we may even be home by the middle of November. :) 

We will continue to take one day at a time knowing that we are being kept by the loving and gracious hand of the One who has brought us this far.

-Jon

~.~.~.~.~.

This is part 17 of the series:

One Thing Our Marriages Desperately Need Today ~~ A Husband's Heartfelt Words as His Wife's Heart was Weak

{for #HeartMonth.}

You can read Part 1, the beginning of the series here.

Come back for Part 18 or to receive these updates in an email subscribe to A Soft Gentle Voice.