UNTITLED

Sometimes words just don't quite do justice for things. Our daughter had her surgery yesterday and I have not yet found the right words for a title to this blog entry. She breezed through surgery and recovery and was home before we knew it. The surgeon was awesome, skilled and compassionate. We had the love and support of our families. Our pastor and children's pastor came by which helped pass the time during surgery faster. The entire staff was great- we could not have asked for more loving and encouraging people to take care of our little girl. We felt God moving in so many ways during the days and months leading up to the surgery as well as the day of the procedure. It was a very hard decision to make for our daughter, but we felt rest assured that it was what needed to be done. With the whole thing behind us now, I see so much has come from that one event. I have learned so much and have grown as a person during the process. It is a bit overwhelming to step back and breathe realizing that so much has happened. I learned to trust God completely, to let our daughter out of our hands and into the loving, caring, all-knowing arms of a Savior who loves her even more than I do. I learned that many times God puts times of waiting in our lives so that he can share with us, draw us closer to Him and teach us what we need to follow His will. I learned to take my selfish thoughts and feelings of responsibility for the "what ifs" and turn them back toward God who has been before us and will never leave us or forsake us. I learned that my daily quiet time with God must be an absolute, not a cruth for times when things are challenging. I saw the hand of God at work from all the "coincidences" of the procedure- my husband's co-worker who works in the same group as the anesthesiologist who was in Sparkler's surgery, the case nurse whose daughter attended a summer camp we have taught for years- twice!, the sweet nap that Sparkler took in my lap while waiting in pre-op, the peaceful manner of Sparkler when being taken back to the OR, seeing the surgeon in the hallway at the elevator when leaving. I could go on and on about the places He was yesterday and ways He manifested Himself. I learned that I don't want to only treasure the moments more so because what if they were the last....I should live and love each day, in every way, as if they were the last. I learned that I am a strong parent, but only because I have a strong Father! Trust me there were times when I wanted to take Sparkler and run yesterday and a time when I thought I was going to faint, but there was also a sturdy set of hands that held me up and gave me strength. What an experience to go through-very thankful for our daughters health, safety and recovery yet almost more thankful for the opportunity to strengthen my relationship with God and draw closer to His love.