Comments

From Sandy -

I know that posting a comment is not possible on this blog. However, I would love the comments. I am trying to be a prayer warrior for Ron and I need to have support from anyone who chooses to do so. Ron may be facing surgery for the stint that they placed in his bowels. Surgery on someone so weak is a great risk - so I am going to give you my e-mail address - I would so love to hear from you. My address is: briddick_136@msn.com

Bless you all!!!

James 5:15

From Sandy -

Ron is still in ICU - now he is considered stable and not guarded. He is still on the ventilator, but they are trying to wean him off of it.

This is a continuous struggle for him and for me. I struggle with this setback and the suffering that Ron has had to go through. I know Ron is struggling with life itself. When will all of this end? When will the rainbow appear and the sunshine light our way?

I ask these questions continually. HOWEVER, I came upon the verse James 5:15 "And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven". This verse is my lifeline. It encourages me to keep praying, keep believing and knowing that the Lord will save Ron's soul. God's word is always there to sustain me and give me hope when everything seems so hopeless.

Another verse in James is James 5:16 "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much"
How I hold on to these verses. The Lord gave them to me and I will always hold them in my heart. I am praying fervently for Ron to get off the ventilator, be well enough to come home, and come to know Our Savior Jesus Christ. If anyone cares to pray this as well for us, what a blessing that would be!!!

Meditation and Prayer

From Sandy -

I am going to make this a short post, but I have to tell you what happened to me this morning. I was reading bible verses and my "streams in the desert" and then just took some time to stop and think about Ron's situation. I don't really know that Ron has accepted Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior. He has used Jesus's name as a swear word. I know for certain Ron believes in God, but not so sure he accepts Jesus as his Savior.

As I was pondering over this, a thought came into my mind that was like an electric shock. It was this - Ron's life will be spared so his soul can be saved. I do believe this with all my heart and soul. After all, God told me. I want Ron to be able to go to sleep some day and wake up in heaven. I want both he and I to be assured of this. I know this is God's will. I know Ron will come home. He may have to have palliative care or hospice, but he is coming home. I have asked the Lord to allow him to be home for at least one year. I will do everything in my power to bring Jesus to Ron - if he won't listen to me, I'll find someone who he will listen to.

I can't believe all the changes in me since my surgery and Ron's surgery and condition. The Lord is so real to me and He is my constant companion. This year has been pretty crappy, but how can you put a price on faith - and that's a gift that the Lord has given to me. Growing in faith has only come through experiencing trials and pain. But what a blessing faith is - it's simply the best.

Code Blue and ICU

From Sandy -

I went to see Ron yesterday and he could not be awakened. His blood pressure was o.k. and his oxygen level was o.k. I had just talked to the doctor about sending Ron back to Reche Canyon Rehab for a couple of weeks before he would come home. All of a sudden Ron's oxygen level dropped to the 70's and he was in very grave condition. Nurses and doctors started running into his room and a code blue was called. He was then transferred to ICU and remains in critical condition.

I'm sorry, but I truly am struggling with all of this and the Lord's plans for Ron. This is so devastating and I am walking around in a dark cloud. I know we don't always know the answers to life's questions. Only God knows what is going on right now in Ron's life and why it is going on. I have no clue as to why this is happening. I fight back with constant prayer and ask the Lord for strength. I just don't understand why Ron was only home for 7 days before he had to go back to the hospital and is now in critical condition. I find it really hard to let go of Ron. I keep asking the Lord to heal him and bring him back home. I can't even entertain the other thought of Ron's passing. I still feel that Ron is not done here yet. His life is needed for whatever purpose the Lord sees fit. This is a very strong feeling in my soul and when I think of anything else, I always come back to the fact that Ron is not done yet here on earth.

I have no wisdom to give anyone at this point. My spiritual life is being taxed to the limit - and yet I still knw that the Lord is with us. Sometimes it is so hard to understand and we simply have to accept the fact that we cannot understand. I still trust the Lord and still look to Him for strength. I always think about Job and everything he suffered. The Lord allowed him to suffer and in the end took care of him. We don't come close to the suffering Job endured, but nonetheless, Ron and I are in a very "suffering" place right now.

Please pray for Ron to recover and come home. I am asking the Lord to allow him to at least be here for one year - or more if the Lord sees fit. I love my husband and my heart is aching for him. I continually pray for the Lord to guide the hands and the minds of the nurses and doctors who are caring for him.

Update on Ron's Condition

Thanks to everyone for prayers. The prayers worked for his blockage. The doctor was able to put a stint in his bowel so stuff can flow through. So far it is working. Now - I am asking for more prayers for another condition Ron has. His blood pressure is sky high, he is confused and agitated, and he is having trouble breathing. The hospital is moving him to the telemetry floor so they can care for his heart better. He is low on potassium which his heart needs. He is totally out of it and has to have his hands tied down. Again, this roller coaster ride is just not letting us off. Prayers would be much appreciated for this new problem. I know the Lord loves Ron and has Him in His care, but I have to be honest and let you know I don't understand this at all. Please keep Ron in your prayers. Love,SANDY

Clinging to God

Ron has a blockage in his intestine, and despite the efforts of his GI doctor, there is still a problem. This could mean surgery and Ron is so very weak. I have to admit that I have yelled at God tonight. I am begging and pleading with the Lord to "fix" Ron.

I don't understand life sometimes and right now I don't understand God. I don't understand why Ron was able to be home for only one week and now he is facing a serious problem lying in a hospital bed once again. The Lord knows how I am feeling - I have asked Him why. I don't think it's fair. Are we being punished? God punished people in the Old Testament. Is my faith being tested? Is the Lord trying to get Ron's attention? Is the Lord teaching me to "Let go and Let God"? Is this to teach both Ron and I to trust in the Lord always and lean not unto our own understanding? Is this for growth in strength and faith?

I still believe in miracles and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Lord can heal Ron. I know that Jesus is right there with Ron. I have asked Him to touch Ron with healing power and with his unconditional love. I am being totally honest here when I say that my faith right now is wavering. Am I in the fiery furnace being tested? God's Word tells me to not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present my requests to God. This I have done and I am still doing. I have been earnestly praying, perservering and enduring and waiting, waiting, waiting on God. I have heard that we may have to face the very worst before we are delivered, but we will be delivered. I am clinging to God and clining to the robe of Jesus - I know Jesus feels Ron's pain and He knows how much I love Ron. Jesus will act when the time is right. I remain waiting for one more miracle.

I want Ron to come home and enjoy what life he has left. I commit this onto the Lord.

Requesting prayer

I know that just yesterday I posted how elated that Ron and I were for him to finally come home. Unfortunately, he is now back in the hospital. He has a bowel obstruction that is very painful and I am requesting that anyone who wishes to would pray for Ron's bowel obstruction to disappear. If it doesn't, he will need surgery and in his weakened condition I am afraid to know what that means.

Ron so far is a book of miracles - surely our Lord and Savior will perform this miracle to clear his bowels so he is once again able to eat and get rid of waste. I am finding out through these episodes that I love Ron so much. I see the frailty in him, the humaness in him, the little scared boy in him, the man I love. I come to the Lord once again in constant prayer for Ron's healing. What's another miracle to the Lord? He performs them every day and I am asking him to unblock Ron's bowels. Do I have enough faith for this? Do I trust in the Lord with all my heart and soul? Do I believe in miracles? Yes - to all of these questions. I wait upon the Lord for healing and to remove the obstruction.

My prayer constantly is "Lord I do believe, please help my unbelief". In the meantime I will keep praying, keep hoping and keep knowing that the Lord will bring what I have asked for to pass.

Please Please pray for Ron's return to health. It would be so appreciated beyond measure.

Sometimes miracles happen in bits and pieces

From Sandy -

Another miracle has come to our family. The Doctor sent Ron home last Thursday. Ron is still very weak, but he is off the feeding tube, his tracheotomy is healing and closing, and HE IS HOME!!!

When I look back on all the stuff Ron has gone through, it's amazing that he is still alive. He came close to dying three times this year and I was beginning to think he would never make it home. But here he is at home.

So many miracles took place in Ron's healing. When Ron was so sick, we weren't sure he was going to make it, he was taken off of the ventilator. He came through sepsis where he was actually unconscious for a month. He was aspirating his food and was having to be fed through a G-tube and now he can eat anything and everything. He is able to get by on very little oxygen. He is back in his own home in his own bedroom. I haven't mentioned all the miracles - there were some tiny ones and some powerful ones. But the biggest miracle is that Ron is back home. It took all the small miracles to enable Ron to get stronger. The Lord was touching Ron all the time with his healing power. This I believe with heart and soul. Many many people have prayed for Ron and the Lord did hear their prayers.

Now - I am asking for prayer. The task of caring for Ron has fallen upon me. I'm not complaining but sometimes it does get overwhelming. I have to stop and just ask God to give me the strength to do what I need to do. Ron is taking 14 different medications three times a day. He needs help sitting up, standing, walking, taking his meds, going to the bathroom, dressing, undressing, geting out of bed, bathing, etc.

I can do all of this with the Lord by my side. Right now I am thanking God that Ron is sleeping so I can write this post. It gives me time to gather my thoughts and put everything into perspective. When I am so rushed, I take my eyes off of the big picture and focus only on the small tasks that I am doing - a multiple of tasks, but they are small.

When I get weary, I stop and realize that right here, right now is where the Lord wants me to be. This is his task for me to do right now. Although I fall very very short of being anything close to a nurse, this is where the Lord wants me to be today. Tomorrow, I am sure things will change, but today I am right where I am supposed to be.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Miracles

From Sandy -

I am feeling very much in awe of the Lord today. Ron is going to be coming home very soon. He is now able to eat food again and his trach was pulled. Now there is just a hole in his throat and it will heal and close soon. He is walking with assistance and a walker. He is able to stand, he can pull himself up in bed and he is exercising his legs every day. I cannot begin to tell you what progress Ron has made. The prayers on behalf of Ron have been heard by the Lord and He has touched Ron with healing and recovery. Nothing short of a miracle has brought Ron from the brinks of death back to life. He has the glowing look of health now and is putting weight back on. He is talking about coming home and how happy he will be to get there. He is nothing short of a miracle.

When I look back at a most "nightmarish" year - I see the footprints of God when He truly did carry me. I have come close to breaking down, but the Lord was there to support me and give me the strength to keep on keeping on. The Lord guided me to a wonderful attorney that brought me through what could have been financial ruin - now we are able to keep our home and our income and I am able to pay the bills. I came through my own surgery with flying colors - Jesus was with me, guiding the surgeon's hand as I lay there.

Throughout all of the despair, pain and suffering - I was never ever alone. This to me is the greatest miracle of all. As small and insignificant as I am compared to the world and all of its' people, the Lord still has had the time to love me, to support me, to strengthen me, and to walk with me through the storm.

When you walk through the storm, hold your head up high and don't be afraid of the dark. At the end of the storm is a golden sky and the sweet silver song of a Lark.

Walk on, Walk on with hope in your heart though your dreams be tossed and blown, walk on walk on with hope in your heart and you'll never walk alone - you'll never walk alone.

I have not walked alone through the storm, Jesus was right there with me all the way and still is.