We Can Do Hard Things

My sweet friend Maria who is involved in our MOPS group as a mentor mom (read more from her at www.middleplaces.com) gave out these pretty magnets at our last meeting.  They have inspirational sayings on them and were distributed totally at random.

Aren’t they so trendy and cute?!  I love the chalk art and really like the short sweet motivation they offer!  I teased her for a bit though because this was the magnet I received:

I told her that I DID NOT WANT TO DO ANY MORE HARD THINGS! I had even considered trading mine with one left at an empty seat.  The problem was that I just couldn’t do that.  For some reason I hung on to it.  I even told the ladies at our MOPS meeting, while I was doing the announcements, that they really should keep the saying that they were given.  Who knows, it might just really be meant for them.  My friend and I exchanged a giggle and we went on our way.

Just yesterday we took our Bekah to a check up at the orthopedic doctor.  This was just for another check of her hips.  Bekah doesn’t walk, crawl, or sit unassisted.  Because of this she has some joint and muscle issues.  The X-ray that she had six months ago showed that her hips weren’t great and that the sockets were not quite holding the ball in place.  We agreed that we would do some exercises and wait and see what happened after six months.  Yesterday’s X-ray showed a big difference – and it wasn’t good.  The doctor told us that she would need surgery for sure.  Not only that, but that it needs to be soon.  Not only that, but it’s a surgery that is no fun for the patient and the recovery is very hard.  He totally dropped a bomb out of a blue sky on us.  We asked a few questions; he showed us some diagrams; we tried to stay calm in front of Kayla.  We were at this appointment for the better part of two hours.

These new big hard things on the horizon haven’t even completely settled on me.  I am still talking things through with Chris, question after question keeps popping into my head.  The very first thing that I thought of when I heard the news of an impending surgery is the saying “God doesn’t give you more than you can handle”.  I had a little chuckle to myself.  You see, I hate that saying.  Years ago as we began to understand Rebekah and the diagnoses were rolling in, well meaning people would tell me – “Don’t worry, God NEVER gives you more than you can handle.”  I think they mostly just wanted to say something to try to comfort me and they had heard this saying floating around.  It’s a nice sounding saying – – but it simply isn’t true.  God tells me over and over in his scriptures that I must fully rely on Him as my strength.  That He gives strength to the weary (Is 40:29). That He is my stronghold (Ps 27:1). That He will give me strength and will hold me up (Is 41:10). That He has made plans for me and they are plans with a future and a hope (Jer 29:11). That I can come to Him for rest (Matt 11:28-29).  So many more examples of God’s strength and care for His people are just waiting to be claimed.  The verse I cling to is Psalms 76:23 “My heart and my flesh may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” These promises aren’t just for me; they’re for you too!

We have a couple of months to get ready for this surgery.  Bekah will be in a cast for four weeks.  FOUR WEEKS!  She will be in a body cast from her chest to her toes.  They will leave a hole for diapering (Wha??) and a hole for us to still be able to use the G-tube for her nutrition.  We’ll know a little more about our time line in a few weeks once we go through the scheduling process.  Head swimming.

As we pulled away from the doctor’s office, I jokingly told Chris that I was mad at my friend–  She said we could do hard things, and now we have to do this hard thing!  Another HARD thing!  After we laughed and cried a little more, Chris said that he was just thankful for the timely reminder that God is equipping us to do this work to further His kingdom through Bekah’s ministry to our family and those around us.

We would love to have your prayers on our daughter right now.  A couple of things to pray for:

• We are coming up on the one year celebration of Bekah’s “tube-a-lation”.  The anniversary of becoming a tubie!  This has been such a great thing for our family.  Bekah is growing and doing well with her nutrition.
• Please pray for the scheduling of this surgery, the protection of health and a recovery that is happy and steady.
• Bekah will be in Kindergarten next year.  This is a big transition year for her from the pre-K program in school into the elementary program.  We begin meetings and evaluations in just a few months.

Thank you Lord for your strength and grace. Thank you for having a plan for our lives and offering hope and a future through that plan.  Thank you for offering us rest when we are weary and overwhelmed.  We are so thankful for friends and family that you have placed in our lives along this journey who continually lift us up in prayer and purposefully point us to You.  You are so good to us!  Amen.