Monday Message, 21 October 2013

A lot has happened since Curt went to be checked by the doctor on 2 October. The top praises go to God for saving his life multiple times when it could easily have ended. 

I bought flowers to welcome Curt home after his initial abdominal surgery. The complicating heart attack struck that day so the flowers remained stuffed in a container of water. 

During the following days Curt continued to bleed, needing additional transfusions. Still not enough time or energy or focus to give to the flowers. 

Bethany returned to the States Friday night. On Saturday I made time to make the arrangements you see throughout this post. The task absorbed my thoughts for the few minutes it required.

I want you to understand the meaning of these floral arrangements and why I'm sharing this detail with you. 

Curt told me recently that he quite enjoys it when I buy flowers and set them around the flat. He said he likes watching me arrange them and finding the touch of beauty they add in the following days. 

My decision to have fresh flowers on display when he returned home was a way to honor him by providing something I knew he would find pleasing. 'Little things' like this often communicate a richness that reminds us of who God is, the One whose love is ever-present, displayed in large and small ways.

My Honey didn't come home that day, but by the Father's grace we trust he will before long. In a way, placing the cheery white blooms around the flat was/is an offering to our Great God to confirm our love and faith in who He is and how He cherishes His people. We continue to embrace His will in the refining process of this life.

We are both extremely thankful to God for the blanket of love He is wrapping around us. It is not the soft, fluffy, merely-there kind. This heavenly blanket is soft but tightly-woven and serviceable wool, the effective kind that insulates from the cold that seeks to penetrate to the heart and extinguish life. We praise His Name for this glorious provision and ask that He bless each of you according to His perfect knowledge and will for you.

Though I will not be able to name every individual, I would like to offer the following as examples of the people around the globe who are appealing to and representing heaven in various ways on our behalf:

• our Czech friends here in Prague who circled around us immediately - sitting with me that first horrid night, putting money on our phones, keeping me company when I didn't want to be alone, praying with and for us, hugging me, visiting Curt, checking in with us, continuing to actively and intentionally love us
• our American friends who helped with information gathering, staying in touch with us, visiting Curt, praying with and for us, bringing meals, offering their time and energy
• our beloved sister Bethany who gave up a planned rest week with her family to travel Dulles-Moscow-Prague and back to serve us both in countless ways for a whole week
• Pastors Farnik and Harsh whom God brought to us following Curt's heart attack, upholding both of us in prayer and wisdom
• Tomas Hampi, a manager at KB bank who has been educating me on how to make financial arrangements since Curt took care of all of that
• an outpouring of emails, messages, prayers, encouragement, and donations from near and far remind us so powerfully of the Almighty's faithfulness toward us.

We have both been moved to tears on more than one occasion by God's grace as evidenced in your loving care.  Please keep it all up as we seem to be only entering the second phase of the tri-athlon.

Today

Curt texted me this morning that he's been up and had his first post-op shower, one of the "real, stand up and get all wet" kind. He is still being fed intravenously and it seems the intestinal issue is more troubling than the cardiac one at this point. 

It appears the Chief of Cardiac Care is in communication with American medical people for which we are grateful. We still do not have even a hint about timing for travel and would covet your ongoing prayers concerning these details. Thank you.

AND the LORD continues to sustain us:

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD  your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."  Deuteronomy 31:6 

     sent to me by Curt from his morning reading.

"I am under vows to you, O God;

I will present my thank offerings to you.

For you have delivered me from death

and my feet from stumbling,

that I may walk before God in the light of life."  Psalm 56:12-13

     from me to Curt out of my morning devotions

May you also find such sweet compassion, divine encouragement, and blessed peace in the Word this very day. Amen