Two Weeks

Two weeks.  If someone had told me two weeks ago that Bryan would still be in the hospital with no release date in sight, I would have said that there is no way we'd be able to handle that.

But, he's still in the hospital, and we are handling it.  The Lord gives grace to do what we have to do, and we're even slipping into some sort of routine.  (It's a less-than-ideal routine, but a routine nevertheless.)  I spend the mornings with the little people and the afternoons with Bryan, coming home in time to spend some more time with the children before bed.  Everyone is getting a little short-changed when it comes to how much time they're spending with me, but we're making the best of a difficult situation.

It would be impossible to overstate how blessed we are by the help we're getting.  I know I have said that before, but it still seems like I haven't said thank you enough.  People are bringing meals, sending cards and emails, visiting, watching the kids while I'm at the hospital, and even doing yard work.  The nurses are impressed by the level of support we've received.  Not everyone, it seems, is surrounded by so many loving brothers and sisters.  We give all the glory to the Lord, and the love of His people is a testimony to His goodness.

Bryan is improving in many ways.  His kidneys are functioning normally and the edema is very slowly going away.  His blood counts are VERY low, as expected, and he's getting daily blood transfusions and IV antibiotics for sepsis.  I'm so proud of his patience and determination.  Being in the hospital is extremely trying, but he's resting as much as he can, and he's determined to get better as quickly as possible.

Bryan's been watching The Truth Project DVDs.  (I think he's secretly trying to get ahead of our Sunday school class.)  He finds those very enriching.  Reading is difficult with the neck brace, so DVDs are a nice alternative.  He tries to nap when he can, but we joke that the hospital outfits patients with a "nap monitor."  As soon as he dozes off, the "nap monitor" alerts them, and someone comes rushing into the room to take vitals, change IV bags, take him for a walk around the ward.  There's no rest for the weary in a hospital.

Endurance is the name of the game right now.  We realized last week that we had moved from a sprint to a marathon with no change in pace.  As the exhaustion started to set in, we knew we had to change things and take a longer view (hence the new routine.)  Now, we're looking forward to Bryan coming home as soon as it's safe and healthy for him to leave the hospital.  And we're praying for the endurance to run this race in a way that brings honor to the Lord who has been so merciful to us.

This verse came to mind this evening as I was out with the kids.  A strong wind had blown up and little Carsten threw out his arms and started to run as fast as his legs could carry him, shouting, "Run like the wind!"

Isaiah 40:31
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; 
they shall mount up with wings as eagles; 
they shall run, and not be weary; 
and they shall walk, and not faint.

Teach me, Lord, teach me, Lord, to wait.