"Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:16). Tomorrow is a huge day for our family. Tomorrow Micah and I both undergo a major surgery that will hopefully restore health and vibrant life to our son. Again, we know that God already knows what He will do. But we still pray that God may hear our prayers and that our prayers may be in accord with His will. So as tomorrow comes and goes, here are a few items for which to pray:
For Micah -
That he will receive the liver and it will provide health and life to his body. Pray that it will be accepted by his body and that there will be little complication from the surgery.
For Sarah -
For the inner struggle of the heart as she feels torn between two people that she deeply loves. Pray for peace and comfort, strength and rest as the next several weeks will require much of her. Also pray for her while she is away from Isaac and Ethan that she will be at peace though she would desire to be with them.
For Isaac and Ethan -
For their security and comfort as mommy and daddy are taken away for the next little while. That they both will be surrounded with love and comfort from our Heavenly Father.
For Grandparents and Family -
As they travel here and seek to provide care for Sarah, Isaac and Ethan and Justin. Pray for the grandparents as they struggle to see their children and grandchildren endure such a great struggle and difficult circumstance.
For Dr. Desai and Dr. Tuttle -
That they will have skill and wisdom beyond experience and their own ability. That even though they might not know the Great Physician, that the Great Physician might still work by their hands to perform this surgery in a marvelous way for Micah.
For Dr. Koo -
For him to have wisdom and skill as he performs the surgery on Justin to remove the 15 to 20% of the liver to transplant. Pray that he might be guided by the hand of the Lord and know the presence of the God Most High.
For Justin -
That he will have strength and peace during this time as he gives to his son. For him to be able to share the love of Jesus Christ by his own act of laying down himself for his son.
For our church family -
For the multitudes who have called, sent cards, given generously by finances, meals and more, to be blessed by the Lord and to know how much we have be uplifted by their care and ministry. Pray that our church family would see God at work in an incredible way.
For God to be Magnified -
In all things, we are to glorified God. Wherever God places us, it is for our good and HIS glory. May God truly be magnified and gloried through this time.
Thank you for praying. We cannot express how much we appreciate your prayers on behalf of our ENTIRE family.
We hope to see and speak with you soon.
6 comments:
Justin...
You don't know me, but I received an email from a friend in Raleigh who had you & your family on his prayer request list.
I live in Jacksonville, FL, and I want you to know how deeply ya'lls story has touched me, and how glorified our God is!
My wife & I have experienced 4 years of in & out of hospitals with our 4 year old daughter. Her situation is brain related, but it doesn't matter what it is, it's your kid & it is terrible to have to see them go through things of this nature.
As I read through your past blogs from the beginning, it brought back the emotional roller-coster that Alison & I have ridden with our daughter Adeline. I know the train you are on, and I empathize with your family.
It is so AWESOME to see your faith in Christ shine through your situation. You & your wife should stand proudly knowing that you guys are walking down the path of Christ.
Alison & I used to try to figure out why Adeline would have to go through hospital visits & surgeries. But soon you just realize, we are not meant to know, but simply to give God all the glory & know that everything He does & allows is for good & for His Kingdom.
That doesn't keep all the hurt & pain away that you guys are going through. But it does give hope that He will never leave you & will never push you over the edge...(even though some days it feels like you could go over that cliff.)
Anyway man...I am so blessed to have come across your story, and am just amazed at how God continues to work. You & your family are living testimonies of Christ's love.
You are doing tomorrow, what I wish I could have done for my little girl. As you may have already experienced, during my visits to the hospitals & having to be with her through the tests & shots, IV's & surgeries....I would think to myself, through my tears, "I would give anything to put myself in her chair to keep her from going through this." And then it clicked one night...That is how much Jesus loved us, to put himself on that cross so we didn't have to.
And you are putting yourself down on that cross tomorrow for your son! And I say....
THAT'S WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT!!!!!
Totally Awesome!
I am sure your are nervous about everything, but find peace in the Holy Spirit. Let Him fill you & comfort your mind & heart. Rest in Him knowing that whatever happens tomorrow, the next day or years from now...it is for His kingdom & He is pleased with how you & your family have Honored Him!
And that amigo, it what is all boils down to!
God Bless you man, and I pray we cross paths one day.
We (My family), are actually moving back to Raleigh at the end of this month. I grew up there, but haven't lived back in Raleigh for almost 15 years. We are stoked. We are actually in the process of setting a meeting with the pediatric neurosurgeon at Duke's Children Hospital (Dr. Fuchs) to take Adeline as his patient once we get up there.
Small world isn't it.
Just so you know...Adeline is a normal little beautiful 4 1/2 year old girl, who has been through 9 head surgeries since she was born.
We were given the option to terminate the pregnancy 5 months into it.
Now you tell me God doesn't have a plan & perform miracles TODAY!
Be strong in Christ, and all things are possible!
Please keep us posted, and we will pray proud & strong for you & your family!
God Bless you man!
Greg Tart
God is amazing and will sustain you all. As we head to Kenya Sunday, you will continually be in our prayers. ~Bobby & Page
Hey Justin,
You don't know me either :0)
My wife, Stephanie (Rosado) Riesland is from Gloucester and knows Sarah pretty well from their time at Union Baptist.
I just want you to know that we're praying for you and your family, especially today. Steph keeps up with the situation through this blog, and she has been rallying folks to keep this situation in prayer.
Just by reading through your posts and even the comments, it's obvious why God has selected your family to be in the spotlight for a while as you point up at Him in the best and worst of times. Our lives are but a vapor, and you're living out a once-in-a-lifetime, unique opportunity to show the whole world where your hope lies and why.
I hope you'll savor every second!
God bless you and your family.
For His Renown,
Zack
I go to church with Justin's parents. I just received word through the prayer chain. Micah is out of surgery and his liver is already producing bile. I will not say anymore than that for now since that is all that I know. I just wanted everyone that has been reading Justin's blog to know Micah's progress. Praise God! He is so amazing. Thank you God.
Justin and Sarah,
My name is Tim Morrison and I am a Deacon at Poquoson Baptist Church. I was so glad to hear that yours and Micah's surgery went so well. To God is given all the glory through his answering of many prayers. Even though I have never met you personally I feel like I know you because of the great things that John and Tracy share with us. We continue to pray for complete healing and a restoration of health. Pastor John said it best yesterday that one day Micah will have such a great testimony on how God glory has shone in his life. WE LOVE YOU BROTHER!! and we look forward to hearing of the progress in Micah's life.
Hey Justin!
I am so glad you are at home! I prayed so hard, and I love you so much! You are definately more than a friend to me ... you're my brother! Thanks for being that and always being there for me! I am still praying and will continue you to! If you ever need someone to talk to I would love to hear from you! I can't wait to see you again! Hopefully sooner than later! Tell your parents hi! I miss them like crazy! Tell Sarah I am praying for her too! I love you! Leah J.
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