My daddy is home, oh what a sweet relief! The past 3 days have felt like forever and the worry and terror absolutely exhausting. The ride of good news / bad news just sucks and I am shattered. That feeling of every time I see it's my mom calling and the call I have made every morning for the past 2 weeks to see how the night was.
I am so grateful to God for the amazing restoration that He has already done in just 3 days. I know we have a good while to go but still, he is home and doing great. People ask me why He chooses to heal some and not others. I don't know. It is not merit, something they have or haven't done, how Lordy they are. It is not even a faith thing. I have seen and heard of incredibly strong Christians full of faith that God decided not to heal. God is God and His ways are not ours and that is how I deal with most of my questions.
What has been strange for me is the dredging of some pretty powerful memories. The 1st is me being 7 years old and standing on the sidewalk watching the ambulance drive away with my dad who was having his 1st heart attack. My little sister was only 2 so my frantic mother left her with a neighbour. I don't remember where Tertia was. Later we went to the hospital to visit him and he had these sticky things on his chest with beep-beep-beep and it was scary in there. After he came home he couldn't play soccer anymore which used to be a big part of our weekends with Tertia and I playing with all the kids down at the clubhouse. He still reffed a game occasionally. The other memories are more recent of losing my nephew Ben 5 years ago. The past 2 weeks have felt like that time and my desperation and terror and worry the same. Not going to go there, just going to live in this moment of gratitude and relief and try and stop worrying or have my heart stop everytime I speak to my mom.
Fogies, in terms of paying us back for all the worry and grey hair we caused you... lets call it square. Revenge of the Nerds III is now complete. This year has been a super sh*t health year for both of you but now it is recovery time. I reckon to survive all you have this year, you have to be made of tungsten so even though you feel like mash potato, you ol' ballies must be pretty strong.
Fabulous news. I am so glad to hear this!
Posted by: Jane | 14 July 2009 at 08:49 PM
What fantastic news. Can't wait till he gets behind his laptop and starts sharing HIS side of the story. :-)
Welcome home Pops - you are amazing.
B
Posted by: BiancaW | 14 July 2009 at 10:25 PM
Super! Now let's keep it uneventful on the health side of things - nice and normal.
Posted by: Dali | 15 July 2009 at 03:59 AM
Great news!!
Posted by: Ann | 15 July 2009 at 07:42 AM
Hi Mel
It's great to be able to get the news via your blog. Your strength of heart in of of this is so encouraging to others. And your unwavering faith in God too. It is hard, but the only thing we are promised is the now and to live it to the full (in God obviously... for those non clappers...out there).
I alway's wonder why some peole seem to have so much more to cope with then others, then I realise that there load is all that they know and that even if they had less to cope with it would still be huge to them so to speak. And another thing is why when "your plate is full" more get's heaped on!? But that is the way it seems to "roll" in life.
Take care, we are all still holding you up in love and prayer. Trusting God provided all the encouragement and support you need along the way...lot's of those "no way" moments where you just know that he is right there "winking" at you in love.
Posted by: Jo Swart | 15 July 2009 at 11:58 AM
Am so happy that Pops is home. Will continue to pray.
I think that the memories thing is quite normal. It could possibly mean that you haven't dealt with it yet. My sister (age 25) had a stroke in January. She has made a full recovery (truly by the grace of God and lots and lots of prayer)and has recently been able to go back to work. Our family was shattered and up till today we cannot speak about it, about the ugliness of it all because it was so very painful. We have tried but it just reduces us all to tears and takes us back to our feelings of despair and anger at the time. When I read your mail on Friday I burst into tears. I was emotional all weekend thinking about your dad and also my sister and that heartbreaking, difficult time that my family went through. I think that the memories are all a means of healing taking place.
xx
Posted by: Julia | 15 July 2009 at 01:25 PM
A quote that rings true in my ears:
"God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do."
Posted by: Beeps | 20 July 2009 at 03:01 PM