Joy, Trials, Testing, Perseverance

I’m writing this post for YOU today.

to inform you

to thank you

to assure you

My Honey came home from the hospital yesterday afternoon, 25 October. It was the day we were supposed to leave for a weekend visit with dear friends in Brno. Instead our journey was from Motol Hospital to Wuchterlova street. 

Wonderful friends blessed us by helping with the transfer, affected between 3 and 5pm. Curt is pleased that he made it up the stairs with minimal assistance. His two main jobs at this point are to rest and keep track of his medication schedule. 

Though my Honey is the one in the midst of the trial, I am drained in every aspect of my being as well. My stresses have been different, but very real and demanding. My two jobs at this point are to rest and keep Curt well fed.

We enjoyed a quiet evening, dinner by candlelight, and a good night’s rest together in our own bed - no people chatting in the hallway, no blood pressure checks, no early morning blood draws, no buzzing emergency alarms. It was truly a divine gift.

It appears that God’s plan is for us to spend 10 days recovering here at home. The friends we were to visit in Brno will come to spend next weekend with us to help us pack and get us to the airport. It’s not the kind of visit we planned, but we know the fellowship will be s-w-e-e-t. 

Once we’re in the States we will both see a gastroenterologist to follow up with Curt’s abdominal surgery and to verify my gastric health. This specialist will consult with Curt’s cardiologist as plans are made for his bypass surgery. The procedure will be a trial of its own, but we are looking to God to restore full cardiac function.

We want to thank you warmly, deeply, thoroughly for the way you have been standing with us in this ongoing trial. God tells us through James to “Consider it pure joy . . . whenever you face trials of many kinds.”  We’re doing pretty well on the second half of that exhortation as we grow in the first half of it. 

Hearing meaningful messages of your loving concern for us, reading many notes about prayer being raised on our behalf, and receiving tangible evidence of your commitment to encourage us on the path God has ordained for us all increase our honest joy. THANK YOU again and again from the bottom of our hearts. 

In our gratitude we continually ask God to bless you 100 fold for all you are pouring out to us!!

We are in a waiting phase for now, but the string of trials stretch out before us. It would be preferable for all of us if we could say we’re done. Instead we find ourselves asking you to PLEASE continue your prayers throughout the transition and into the next phase of health care.

It has been suggested to us by our family and Board, and confirmed by the LORD that we take a sabbatical time to offer praise and thanksgiving for His great goodness to us. Therefore, once this update is posted, we are strongly committed to stay away from technology for a time, except to relax (sports for Curt, movies for me). We will do our best to reconnect and update you when we come back online. Thank you for your understanding.

Our final task here is to assure you, and so we offer the convictions that have been guiding and sustaining us and will continue to do so in the days ahead.

God is love.

God is able.

God is good.

God is caring.

God is faithful.

God is personal.

God is sovereign.

God is trustworthy.

God is all-powerful.

God knows my frame.

God is an ontime God.

God is wherever we are.

God is all-sufficient.

We rest in His hands as He accomplishes His perfect will in our lives. 

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”  James 1:2-4