Cough, sniff, blow, sneeze, cough

Posted on 2008-Oct-24 at 08:51 AM

The sounds of coughing, sniffling, sneezing, blowing, and more coughing have filled my home all week.  It started with 9 yo C ... poor girl.  She has it bad.  Others started sniffling and sneezing a bit.  Yesterday it tackled 7 yo J and hit him just as hard as 9 yo C.  Poor boy.  I wonder who will be next.  Hopefully not me or Baby G.  Hopefully not DH, either, since he's still tired and stressed with his Dad's health situation.

Pray for us, and Steve's family.   I haven't said much about his Dad here ... but he has been in the hospital since early August.  He's diabetic, and had to have both legs amputated below the knee.  He has been in ICU ever since then (over 6 weeks now) and is still on the ventilator.  This week, he began daily dialysis.  He is so weak, and just isn't recovering.  Time just seems to bring new problems, rather than healing and strength.  While health complications from poorly managed diabetes are inevitable ... it has still been a surprise that it came on so suddenly.  And his decline since August has also been a surprise.  We had expected he'd be in rehab therapy by now, not still lingering in ICU.

Steve's parents are Christians, and their hope is in the Lord, but it is still discouraging to them to be in this position.  (Father-in-law in ICU, heading for a nursing home ... and Mother-in-law with alzheimers and also heading for a nursing home before too long.)  They are only in their 60s ... so young to be dealing with this.  Of course, my parents and our Sunday School class (all couples older than us) keep telling us we are too young (in our 30s) to be dealing with this, as well. 

But we don't get to choose the trials in our life, or the timing of the testing that God allows in our life. Our hope is in Him, and we know He provides the grace and strength for any trial that comes our way.  When I think of the trials others face, this one still seems minor in comparison.  My child isn't struggling to overcome cancer, my husband is still living, and our family is strong.  It could be so much worse.

Trusting in Him,
April