I am getting pretty awful at writing posts regularly on our blog and to be honest, one of the reasons why I don't write often is that it takes me a long time to write each of these posts. Plus, writing blog posts aren't really the top things on my agenda after the kids go to bed. But I haven't written anything since April and so much has happened since then. This morning I was reading a passage in the Bible from Luke 17:11-19 and it really stirred me to write an update. In this story, Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem and ten men with leprosy come to him, asking Jesus for healing. Jesus tells them to go to the priests and on the way there, they are all healed. Only one of those men actually comes back to Jesus to thank him and Jesus tells him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."(Luke 17:19) The passage really struck a chord with me this morning because one of the main reasons I write on this blog is to share what God is doing and when I think about it, it's a record and reminder to me of what He has done when I go back and look at past posts. So, it may be another four months until I get another post out, but I will keep sharing and I apologize that these posts are so far and few between.
Back in April, I wrote about Bijou, and so many of you prayed for her and asked what you could do to help. During that time, I felt absolutely helpless to do anything but to pray and love and support our friends as they feared for their daughter's life. Besides the fact that the Legers are good friends and that I love their daughter, one of the things that helped me keep going in writing updates for the Legers was that each night as I heard the update and prayer requests, I would also look back at my notes to see what happened the day before. And without fail I would read how God had answered Cara and John's prayer requests from the previous day. Some of the victories were tiny and others were huge, but it was extremely encouraging in the midst of a really difficult time for their family. It gave me hope. I learned that God was going to take care of them, and this was made even more evident when he provided their family the funds to move from Hong Kong to Cincinnati and to provide Bijou with the best care she could receive at Cincinnati Children's Hospital through the love and care of so many people all over the world. They were welcomed into Cincinnati with love from others that found out about their situation, and we had the JOY of being able to visit them when we were in the States over the summer holiday. To see Bijou smile, laugh, and be able to play with the other children again was a sight to behold. And I can't help but tear up as I write about it because I saw with my own eyes where her little body was in April and how far she had come just a couple months later in June. I am so incredibly thankful because I had the privilege to witness God at work. And if I can't give him glory for what happened there, then shame on me. :)
You can continue to keep updated on Bijou's progress at www.caringbridge.org/visit/bijouleger. In May, Bijou met with the cardiologist and pulmonologist at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and during those appointments the doctors determined that Bijou did not have pulmonary hypertension and that her heart was normal. If you want to understand what the doctors' words meant to Cara and John, go to the caringbridge website and read from the beginning. I think you'll be amazed.
Cara wrote it beautifully when she said, "Each day with this girl is an amazing miracle. It is a miracle to have her alive and breathing. It is a miracle for her to not need to be on oxygen or any other machine or support. It is a miracle that she has been steadily gaining back muscle and strength. A few months ago, my little BumbleB was confined to a hospital bed, was breathing artificially, and had multiple organ failure. Today Bijou sings, Bijou giggles, Bijou swings, Bijou climbs, Bijou plays, Bijou crawls, Bijou dances, Bijou walks, Bijou hugs, Bijou talks, Bijou rides, Bijou lives."
 |
 |
Thank you for taking the time to read this Thankfulness post! I'll try to put another one up soon about the rest of our summer.
