February 22, 2008 9:40 AM
Josh and Hattie need your prayers
If you've been here since before last fall, you know that my oldest son Josh and his sweet wife Hattie have been through a great deal more than most couples married less than two years. Hattie lost the ability to walk last August - after suffering from back pain for months - and was found to have a tumor (3" I think) on her spine. It was removed surgically and she was recovering and learning to walk again when they found another tumor on her thyroid gland - calling for another surgery and radioactive iodine treatment.
Since November, Hattie has been in the clear and their life together had returned to normal. I took the picture above at our house on Thanksgiving Day. Don't they look on top of the world?
But Josh called last night to say that a tumor which they had detected in Hattie's chest after her two surgeries - which they thought would have been nipped in the bud by her iodine treatment - has grown by 1/3.
You can imagine how this must feel - as Josh said, "Just when we thought we were seeing light at the end of the tunnel."
Hattie got the call yesterday informing her, but her medical team has not conferred yet about how to proceed. They will decide today or Monday.
Please keep them in your prayers.
In related family news: when I woke up that Saturday morning a couple weeks ago and wrote about releasing an angry daughter, I had no idea that that daughter was actually in the hospital in crisis and about to have her sixth baby a month early through intervention. Nor would I know she had it that day except that Josh is the only person in our family who is in contact with her (because he works with her husband) - and he told the rest of us.
I guess God was preparing me - and other members of the family - for the extra hurt of not being allowed to help at this time when we so want to. That morning, reading Elisabeth Elliot on "Leave Him to Me" - which I shared at the end of my own musings - I saw clearly that there comes a time when all we can do is Give It to Jesus. This is something Greta reminded me of when I was in Seattle and which I now remember our nuns telling us when I was in Catholic high school.
In many ways I think this is something the Catholic Church gets absolutely right - that the path of a Christian must be through pain and suffering. Most branches of Protestantism and evangelicalism tend to focus on God's blessings as being manifested as material wealth and health - if you love God and serve Him, He will bless you. And yet that's not what the Bible teaches except in random verses plucked out by Prosperity Preachers - and, tellingly, New Age disciplines (see Christian Materialism and Greed).
As humans, we just tend to get too complacent when we're comfortable. We are too quick to feel entitled, and to use prosperity and power to control others. God can't work with us that way. We need to be dependent on Him. And we need to suffer ourselves to truly understand the suffering of others.
If I had never had a daughter who judged and scorned me, I might have - in spite of my best efforts - become puffed up with pride and unable to understand the struggles of other parents of adult children. Like everything else, this has been an essential part of my spiritual journey - painful, yes, but drawing me closer to God. God has asked me to let go of my daughter, and in doing that I can turn more fully to Him. Hard to explain the peace of finally understanding that I can leave her in His hands and move on.
And what floats into my mind is:
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.
Here is how Gary Chapman sings it:
One thing I've discovered is that beneath the "perfect" exteriors you see at church, people are all struggling with issues and challenges. We all need prayer. forgiveness and hope. But what we need to know is that when our lives are troubled it is not God's judgment, just a call to draw closer to Him. All He wants is our surrender - so He can fill us with His grace.
Whatever the troubles are in your life today, take them to Jesus. And no that no matter what, God loves you.
Posted in Family, Inspiration | Permalink
Comments
I'll pray.
Posted by: Tara | February 22, 2008 12:00 PM
Oh Barbara- (((HUGS))) Your transparency is so encouraging sometimes..........Each life knows its own pain......that is for sure......... I would be happy to pray for you, for Josh and Hattie, for your daughter........Prayers are the best gifts we can give sometimes.....I have found that to be true when I'm in a slump and can " feel" the prayers of others..What a gift...Thank you for being transparent. The Curtis family is in my prayers today.
Posted by: Lisa | February 22, 2008 1:28 PM
Thank you for this post. Realizing that love means letting go has been very crucial in my relationship with God! I really enjoy Elisabeth Elliot as well. I will say a prayer for Hattie and Josh.
Posted by: Patty | February 22, 2008 1:45 PM
Praying for Hattie and Josh. Lovely perspective too.
Posted by: Dell | February 22, 2008 2:08 PM
I just love you, Barbara.
will definitely be praying for Josh and Hattie! Wow.
Thanks for sharing the remainder of what you shared...encouraged my heart deeply....tears....
Posted by: shawnda | February 22, 2008 2:41 PM
Oh, man. My Assemblies of God church doesn't preach a health and wealth gospel. Please don't cast that net wide. :)
Posted by: Monica | February 22, 2008 3:45 PM
Josh & Hattie are in my prayers as are your daughter and new grandchild. Blessings amongst the sorrow, this truly is the season of Lent.
Posted by: Jane Duquette | February 22, 2008 11:32 PM
Praying for your dear ones!
Posted by: Shelley | February 23, 2008 3:30 PM
