As I open my heart to you this week, I pray you are comforted. I feel your pain, whatever you are dealing with or have dealt with in the past. You are loved by an amazing God. Please don’t ever forget that. Reach up to Him and pray from your heart. Plead with Him. Get angry with Him. Ask for His help. Ask for His presence. He hears you.
This last tale I will share this week goes back to March of 2009, when my husband suffered a stroke. Every number, every blood test, every bit of his lifestyle and family history said he was not a candidate. He was healthy, strong, an athlete. And it began slowly with a numb thumb and cheek.
He went to work that morning, only to be told to go to the doctor by his boss. The doctor told him to get to the ER immediately and throughout the day the symptoms would deteriorate. His speech slurred more and more, the numbness and weakness spread throughout his left side.
Our oldest daughter was with us and it was a frightening sight to see our strong family leader in this weakened position.
By this time in my life, my faith was strong and throughout the experiences I spoke of earlier this week, God showed me how to ask for and to look for the blessings around me, no matter the circumstances. The stories are endless, from the love of his closest life-long buddies, to the answers to prayer in his steady improvement, to the needed words given to me at my darkest moment from a pastor friend of mine.
Nip never complained and his faith grew stronger and the months of his recovery remain some of our closest moments. Moments when I would rub this left arm and hand over and over again, as I assisted him in buttoning a shirt or in taking a shower.
Somehow, God strengthened our sense of humor through those months. Besides dissolving into laughter after the hard labor of helping him take his first shower after returning home, Nip would sing random songs off and on, certainly not the norm for my stoic, quiet husband.
When he was still staying in rehab, it happened to coincide with the time of the high-school hockey tournament, and his TV did not tune in to the appointed channel. The look of pure panic in his eyes stirred me into action. It just so happened, the nurse at the front desk was the sister-in-law of one of his former high-school hockey buddies!
Well, she insisted this was a dire emergency and called someone right over. They figured it out for him within the hour. God answers prayers in unusual ways.
We had the opportunity, through those months, to sit for hours on the swings in the backyard, talking, reminiscing and looking forward to what was to come. I am happy to report, other than some mild weakness in his left hand and less ability to combat the cold on his left side, he has been healthy for over ten years. Thank You, Lord!
My prayer warriors were on their knees throughout those months and I am forever grateful. Friends dropped off meals. There were so many cards, phone calls, and love. It was a humbling time for both of us. I felt the presence of God around me at all times through those months. My friend, Barb, gave Nip this verse.
But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will run and not grow faint. Isaiah 40:31
Have you discovered blessings through your times of struggle? Share your stories with others. The compassion and kindness you give goes a long way. We will all go through tough times in our individual life journeys and God remains faithful and true., through unexpected laughter, through the gifts of friendship, through unexplained “coincidences.”
Father,
Show us Your heart as we suffer. Give us blessings that we can see, hear and touch. Help us to savor the small moments of goodness even in the depths of darkness. Somehow, you lift us out and give us yet another firm place to stand. Please use our times of suffering to show Your glory.
In Jesus name,
Amen
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