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Monday, January 13, 2003 Hope stands on solid ground. My mom had to take my dad to the emergency room at 3am on Saturday night; he was in "exquisite" (his word) pain because, as they found out, his stomach lining had gotten an infection from the dialysis. "On a scale of 1 to 10, how much does it hurt?" "Ten, if that's the limit!" He's doing well right now but is going to be in the hospital tomorrow and maybe the day after for observeration. On February 10th, he's scheduled to finally (!) get a kidney transplant. So here's where the story gets interesting: he says this has been the best year of his life. Yes, it's been the one with the most health problems--my poor dad, he's had everything from a tumor under his arm to kidney failure, vision problems, and the constant, diabetes since he was 17, within the last couple of years--but it's the year in which he's grown the closest to God. This isn't an "airy-fairy" (another of his phrases) kind of faith; this is something tangible, something real: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (James 1:2-4). Amidst all of the trials of the last year or so--diagnosing the kidney disease, finding a donor (another story I'll get to in a minute), the doctors telling the donor that he can't donate because he may have heart or neurological problems himself, the doctors finally approving the donor, and now an infection a month before the transplant operation--he's maintained an incredible attitude. The doctors love to see him and can't believe the jokes he makes--there's a tube coming out of his stomach for the dialysis, aka his "water gun"--and he says he wouldn't trade away the last year for anything. Anything. Why? Because God has been more real than ever: I know Who's driving this vehicle, and I trust Him. Sometimes the vehicle takes a sharp turn, sometimes He weaves a little to keep me awake and interested, but, I am safe in His Hands, so I can relax and enjoy the sights. In the meantime it has been a GREAT 18 months... growing in a way I never thought possible after 30+ years of walking with the LORD. Would I exchange this period of testing for any other? No way. Yeeeee... Haah! It's amazing to me. Here's another amazing story: the kidney donor (see--I didn't forget). Tom Beadle, a guy from my home church, also of the band Son of Adam, called my parents out of the blue one day and told them that he'd been praying for my dad and felt that God was leading him to offer himself as a donor. He's not that much older than me... and wasn't close to our family at all. It took everyone by surprise. He went through the inital tests and the doctors thought they discovered a neurological or cardic problem, which thankfully turned out to be dehydration. So they gave the ok for the operation. Various other people from church have offered to donate as well--the support there has been absolutely incredible. I honestly don't think a group of people could ever act this way if they weren't trying to follow Jesus Christ. It's their love for Jesus--Yeshua in the original Jewish tongue--that spurs them to love others the way he did... and still does. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. ^ Top | 4:09 AM | | | 
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