Tag: surgery

Worry, Trust, and God's Control

January 22, 2009 / / 1 Comment

I want to thank you for all of the prayers you prayed for my son, who had surgery a couple of weeks ago.  It went very well, and he’s recovering nicely.  In fact, he does not even react as if the surgery site is painful now.  We’re so thankful for the outpouring of love and support from you all.

Sending my son in for surgery was one of the toughest things I’ve had to do.  The worst part was when they wheeled him out to the operating room, and we saw him round the corner away from us.  Let me tell you, that was a tough moment.  Part of the reason it was so tough was because it’s my son, and I love him, and I hate to see him hurting.  But the other, and more significant reason that it was so difficult, I believe, was that it was out of my control.  Surgery is beyond my level of expertise, and I had nothing to do with the procedure in the surgery room.  It was completely beyond me.  When things are beyond us, out of our control, we can move in one of two directions: worry or trust.

Worry says that I don’t really trust that God is in control.  Because God is not fully in control, and He’s not going to give this the time, effort, love, and thought that the gravity of this situation deserves, I in my sufficient wisdom will fret, sweat, and unhealthily concern myself with that which I cannot control.  God cannot be in control, because if He were, He would have led me to this situation.  Worry, at its heart, reflects a lack of trust.

Trust, on the other hand, says that though this is a difficult situation, and I don’t know what the outcome will be, God is in control.  As He has been faithful in the past, so will He be faithful now.  God is good, and His love endures forever (1 Chronicles 16:34).  The one who trusts sleeps peacefully in the knowledge that God is the one who provides true safety (Psalm 4:8).  Trust, at its heart, reflects a true belief.

I’d like to say that I never once worried throughout this whole process, but I can’t honestly say that.  However, I can say that difficult situations tend to bring heart issues out.  When difficult times come, use that as a time to evaluate your heart.  Will you worry?  Or will you flee to God?

 

Prayer Request for Rex, my son

January 12, 2009 / / 3 Comments

I obviously believe in the value of community (my work at Grace centers on community groups).  In fact, I think it’s absolutely essential to living life.  We were created to be dependent on each other, and when we aren’t, there’s something that’s missing.  God lives life in community (that whole Trinity thing), and expects that the community that we have with Him we would also have with others.  We were never created to live life alone.  Which is why I am writing you this blog today.

We need you all right now.  Rex, our 11-week old son, is having surgery tomorrow (Tuesday, January 13th).  It’s ‘routine,’ so we’re told, but nothing is really routine when it comes to sending your child in for surgery.  He has an inguinal hernia that has to be repaired.  It’s only on one side, but they’ll scope the other side to make sure it’s not about to do the same thing.   We’re also told that it’s ‘normal’ (though that word doesn’t offer a lot of consolation right now).  It’s more common in boys than in girls, on the left side than the right, and is more common in premature babies (Rex was born 4 weeks early).  We would greatly appreciate your thoughts and prayers, because even though this is ‘normal’ and ‘routine’ it’s still stressful.  The main cause for concern with the doctors is the anesthesia.  Babies who were born prematurely are at an increased risk of apnea, which is why they’re keeping us one extra day.

We trust deeply in the sovereignty of God.  We know that Rex’s life is in His hands, and I don’t mean that in a trite kind of way.  We trust that Christ upholds the universe (Hebrews 1:3) and that, in Him, all things hold together (Colossians 1:17).  Please pray that we would find hope, comfort, and rest in our Savior, that we would remain steadfast in our faith, as He has remained steadfast to us, and that we might see His mighty hand woven throughout this whole process.

Thank you in advance for your prayers of support.

 

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