Shield Around Me

We drove up to visit Michael this morning.  We wanted to get a visit in before this weekend’s snow storm.  According to various weather reports, we’re getting somewhere between 2 or 20 inches of snow but we are assuming it will likely be around a foot.  Which is significant enough for things to be cancelled for the next few days.  That being said, we realized that probably won’t get to visit the hospital which will be strange, but okay, I guess.

When we walked in to see Sally, she was hard at work with her notes from the morning.  She had re-watched a Joyce Meyer sermon and shared with us what she had learned.  I really look forward to this, because I can see and hear the great things that God is showing this wonderful Mom throughout this difficult time and it is an incredible encouragement to my soul.  Today, Sally shared again about the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  She also shared how God tells us things He wants us to know and that we need to not only know these things, but to live them and to share them with others.

A little while later, we walked in to see Michael.  I have to share that I was delighted when I looked at the monitor to see that his pressure levels were in the single digits.  I had prayed for this as we walked into the hospital, and so to see it was incredible affirmation of God already being at work for Michael today.  Sally shared that the levels have been very good for the past few days and that the doctors are very pleased with this.  She also shared that Michael had been reactive to some of the tests again, and was showing slight physical movement in his arm which was a very good thing to see.  His brain also showed more activity on the EEG today, but thankfully this is good and has not affected his pressures.

Michael’s Neuro-Surgeon’s PA stopped in last night to affirm that Michael is indeed showing positive signs and that she is very impressed with this.  And we were absolutely thrilled to be able to see some of these signs as well when we visited him.  Jeremy and I each took time to talk to him today, since his levels were good (in the past we haven’t wanted to disturb him with too much noise).  And it could have just been me, but when I talked to him, I’m pretty sure I saw his eye twitch just the tiniest.  I told him how much we loved him and how everyone was praying for him to get better.  I really could have cried because it was just such a good visit with so many things to be hopeful for.

Looking in my files for pictures to share, I came across ones from a few years ago in December, when we took our students to Target to buy toys for Operation Christmas Child.

Michael came on quite a few of these trips with us.  If you’re not familiar with the program, Operation Christmas Child gives people the opportunity to buy toys and gifts for children all over the world.  Every year, we encourage our students to participate in this awesome ministry.  We tell them to bring some money to shop with and then we take them to Target so they can pick up their supplies.

Obviously, there is also time to goof off a bit and have an appropriate amount of supervised fun as well.

Giving teens the opportunity to do something good is always a beautiful thing.

The box that Michael prepared that year would end up being shipped out to some country in the world and eventually placed in the hands of a child who quite possibly may not have received a gift that year otherwise.  Michael always showed an unselfish heart and it was so great to have him participate with us for this project.

And so concludes another post about our amazing friend Michael.  I continue to be so thankful for all of the events and activities that we shared with this incredible kid.  Seeing his fun attire for tonight’s picture, I was so happy to find Psalm 3:3, because I truly feel that it is a testimony to how God is helping, healing and protecting our friend.  I also love the thought that God will indeed bestow glory on Michael and that He will be the one to lift him up and to heal his injuries.

Tonight’s prayer request is kind of a fun one.  Today, they were able to start to introduce a slow drip of “food” for Michael.  I put food into quotations, because to us, it might simply look like an unappetizing and bland blend.  But for Michael, it’s nourishment that his body needs and Sally told me that it also contains proteins that will help his body to heal.  So tonight, in addition to our continued prayers, can we pray specifically that Michael’s body will tolerate and properly digest this new introduction of nutrients?

When I shared this prayer request with one of Michael’s friends, she told me that Michael loves food and that she bets his body will take it just fine.  So that is most definitely our prayer tonight.

*Also, just to let you know…  Sally told me she would share updates with me throughout the weekend, since we won’t be able to drive up, so I am planning and hoping to pass these along to you 🙂