No Place Like Home

"If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also" (John 14:3).

As you can probably guess from the title of this blog, Micah came home! He arrived home on Friday evening at about 5:30 PM. But more on our arrival home and the coming surgery in just a moment.

There's no place like home. Dorothy stood with her feet on the soil of Oz but her heart longing for Kansas. Though just moments before her hopes of returning home seemed dashed when the Wizard of Oz took flight in his hot air balloon without her in it, there was still hope. So she clicked her heals together and repeated the phrase, "There's no place like home."

There's no place like home. I love being home. Multiple times throughout the day today I caught myself being shocked to see Micah in the house. Not only that, we were all here. Sarah was here...Isaac was here...Ethan was here...we were all here together. Even tonight when Micah was ready for bed and ready to eat, I sat in the recliner in his room to feed him his bottle. I know maybe this is crazy, but I prayed a prayer of thanksgiving for that recliner. I thanked God that I could have my shoes off and put my feet on "clean" carpet. After feeding him so many times in the hard, wooden rocker without being really comfortable, I leaned my head back and thanked the Lord.

Micah had a great day at home today. He's rested well. He's smiled and laughed. Micah's also eaten fairly well, even eating some small bites of chicken and mashed potatoes. Even though he still has that bile drain and bag, you wouldn't know it by looking at how well he has done today.

All those days my feet were planted on the floor of Duke hospital never robbed me of my heart's desire to be at home. And as I have thought about that, it reminded me that this isn't my home. I have a far greater home awaiting me now.

My feet may be planted upon the soil of this decaying and sin-ridden earth, but my heart is fixed and longs for my home, my eternal home, in heaven with Jesus Christ. He's promised it to me. He said that so very clearly. He's prepared it for me. That too was clearly spoken. He's planned the grand opening. Oh there is a day, which I do not know, in which the Lord will return for me to gather me home to be with Him. May I never grow so comfortable with this world and this life that my heart's affection is not set upon heaven and being in the presence of Jesus Christ.

There's no place like home. God doesn't know a better place than heaven. He doesn't know a sweeter, more peaceful, more lavish, more permanent, more enthralling place than heaven. The One who created everything, heaven and this world included, invites us to dwell in the place that He has created that is rivaled by no other. Is heaven your home?

Friday evening Sarah and I left Duke Hospital at about 5:00 PM with Micah in the car. We drove home. The joy to see him in the car when we left and when we pulled in the driveway is indescribable. He's doing well at this time. We've come home for an indefinite amount of time. The last procedure revealed some information we had not yet heard.

When on Thursday of this past week the doctors went in to try to open the blockage where the bile duct attaches to the intestines, it was discovered that there was "communication" between that site and the cavity of fluid in that area which had been present since transplant. The test revealed that apparently a small leak at that site is present. In short, another surgery is needed to repair the plumbing (for lack of a better word).

There isn't a rush to fix this, though it will likely be within the next couple months. One goal is to get the doctor who did Micah's transplant, Dr. Desai, who has since moved to Texas, to return to be part of the surgery. When schedules can be coordinated, then the surgery will likely occur. In the meantime, we seek to keep Micah healthy and monitor liver levels and so forth. It had been our hope and prayer that the area where there is blockage could be opened and no surgery be required. The news of another surgery was difficult to hear. But once again, we know God is bigger than all this. We know He is able to do the impossible. And we also know that if surgery comes, God is certainly in control of every detail, big or small.

We simply ask that you continue to pray for us and the doctors throughout the coming weeks. As always, we ask for prayer for divine wisdom and guidance. Please also pray for Micah and our entire family to remain healthy and strong. For a boy from Tennessee who loves snow and hasn't seen much lately, I still long for warmer weather and healthier days devoid of flu scares and other illnesses that can wreak havoc on the body and whole families.

I will certainly update periodically. Micah is scheduled for a follow-up visit Monday this coming week.

In the meantime, we give glory and honor to God who has done an incredible and wonderful healing work in Micah. Lord, thank you for letting us come home! But thank you most of all for my heavenly home which awaits my arrival because Jesus has redeemed me.