Steadfast

I could breathe just a tiny bit easier today, as we pulled into the hospital to see our friend Michael.  The blizzard kept us away over the weekend, but thankfully today’s sunny skies and melting snow made it possible for us to venture up to Stony Brook once again.

We parked the church van next to a pretty intimidating mountain of snow.  And it was interesting to think that no matter how big that snow mountain was today, with time and sunshine, it would eventually melt away to nothing.

As we walked towards the hospital, I could feel that today was going to be the beginning of a turning point with Michael’s recovery.  I’ll explain more in a bit.

Looking through pictures to share tonight, I couldn’t help but stay in 2011.  Digging deeper, I’m able to find hidden away files of random nights of Youth Group and within these pictures, that incredible Michael smile that we’ve all grown to know and love.

On this particular night, we played this sort of Copy Cat game.  One person would be picked in the circle of friends to do a particular movement which everyone else would copy.  Then, the person in the middle would try to guess who was doing the movement that everyone else was copying.  The funny thing that night, was that usually the person doing the movements was a part of the circle.  That night, we thought it would be funny, if everyone copied the person in the middle (Michael) instead.

He eventually figured it out.  Because he’s smart like that.  But it also made me think about how over the years, most importantly Michael would learn to copy and be a follower of Jesus.  And in that process, people would see him following Jesus and doing these great things, and that they in turn would want to copy and follow Jesus too because of the example that Michael set.

It’s a pretty great way to live life, if you ask me.  Following Jesus won’t make your life perfect.  But it will mean that you can perfectly learn and gain the great things that Jesus has for those who love Him.  And tonight and in thinking of Michael, I’m reminded that what we need and that what he needs, is Jesus and the perfect peace that He gives.

When we visited Michael today, we learned a few great things.  First off, his ICP Levels have stayed so consistently low that he is being taken off some of the medication that was connected to controlling the pressures when they got too high.  This is definitely a step in the right direction.

And dear friends and family, I just have to stop and give thanks to God for being so wonderful in lowering those levels and in helping Michael’s brain to heal.  We’ve shared so many prayers for that over the past weeks, and seeing those levels lower is a huge answer to prayer.

Michael has also continued to do well with his food drip and that too is an answer to prayer.  His body seems to be doing well, processing those nutrients and we also thank God for that.

And I’m so excited to share that when we went to see Michael today and were talking to him and praying for him, his eyelashes fluttered slightly, but quite a bit when we were with him.  I shared with him how much we all love him and were praying for him and while I did, he even shrugged his shoulder.  It was something that he did to his sister Sarah yesterday as well.  So, Go Michael!  It’s so exciting to see these little movements that are so hopeful.

The biggest change that happened today, is that over this next week, the doctors will start to lessen the sedatives that have kept Michael in the best state for healing these past two weeks.  This is an exciting step, but also one that is unknown.  Prayer is needed for Michael and for continued healing.  He is running a low grade temp, which is something that we can pray for too.  But mostly just that as he comes off the sedatives, that he would have peace.  That he wouldn’t be scared because I’ve learned that this can be something that is very confusing and scary.

So we will pray for peace for Michael.  God has been with him every step of the way and we just pray that Michael will be able to have peace as he comes off of this medication.  I truly know that we can ask and trust that God will heal and be with Michael throughout this next step and in these coming days.