You might find a cup of tea for this post as a number of us will share our Memories of the Miracle day of JUNE 5, 2012!
AMY REMEMBERS.................
Sometimes (many times) God does things we don't fully understand and a year ago today was one of those days. I awoke early that morning to lay before the Lord, Literally face down on my living room floor, to beg God for a Miracle for Kristi on this given day as she was walking in to do the Pelvic Exenteration Surgery.. For me I was here at home with my kids and Kristi's all tucked safely in their beds still enjoying the early morning hours of sleep - The plan was set in place - I was to watch her kids for the month that she would be in Houston following this life changing surgery; we had crossed all our t's and dotted all our i's, we were willing and ready to be OBEDIENT and walk the path God had called each of us too! Yet still in the backs of our minds we hoped and somewhat felt that God had other plans in store, but He had yet to reveal them to us - so I awoke and did the only thing I knew to do - and that was PRAY! God gave me two very distinct verses as I laid there praying Ps. 27:13-14 I am still confident of this, I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living WAIT for the Lord, be Strong and take heart and WAIT on the Lord! and Ps. 28:6 Praise be to the Lord for He has HEARD my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength, my shield, my heart trusts in Him and I am helped. My heart leaps for JOY and I will give thanks to Him in Song. - I remember my dad calling me about 5:30 as they had just said goodbye to Kristi as she walked back to the surgical room... we cried and we prayed together, we shared what God had spoke to each of us that morning and we said our goodbyes while we sat and waited in our respected places, dad at MD Anderson and Me at home. The sun came up and the sound of children filled my home and I passed the baton of care off to my husband as I headed to work and pleaded again with God on my drive that He would give me a clear mind to care for my clients when my mind was elsewhere. God is Faithful and I was able to be present for my clients but in between a couple of clients I received a text from my dad saying "We got our Miracle" I closed my door and shed a few happy tears before ushering the next client into my office... I wanted to dance and sing and weep but my days work was not done! Jeff sent me a text picture of Isaiah and Alyssa after they had talked to their daddy on the phone and heard that Mommy had been given a miracle - the first thing I noticed was that the sparkle in Isaiah's eyes had returned! Thank you Jesus for HEARING our cries for help on June 5th 2012 - Today we still learn to WAIT on you - to see what you are up to but we WAIT in Faith and we do not Forget the Miracle of 2012!
DANINA REMEMBERS...................
DO WE LOVE GOD AND BELIEVE HE IS GOOD when we get a miracle and when we experience loss?? Yes.... We can say this without doubting... HE IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!! He is the same God in the dark and in the light. He is the same God on the Mountains and in the Valleys. These pictures from June 5th 2012 remind me of how you, our dear friends and readers, and how we as family have walked both in a year's time. The mountain top experience of a modern day miracle and the terrifying valley of facing death and loss with the radical surgery performed 6 months later.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8,9
My parents and I had the unique experience of sitting in that same waiting room twice. Saying goodbye twice. Praying with Kristi in the pre-op room twice. Anxiously waiting to hear news from the Dr.s twice. One time, we waited 5 hours to see Kristi, and the next time it was nearly 16 hours before we saw her. One time, we left the hospital the same day we came, and the next time we stayed at the hospital for weeks. One time, Kristi left as she came, and the next time she left with life altering changes to her physical body and life. But each time......we left knowing that our God was REAL AND ALWAYS THE SAME! He was good and worthy of our trust. Each time, we came and went feeling God's presence through you!!
One year ago today, I watched Billy fearfully and sadly walk Kristi down that hall at MD Anderson at 5:15a.m. Then, that very afternoon I watched the miracle of him joyfully walking her back into the apartment we had rented for one month. I remember that many of you gave money that we used to rent this apartment for the month. I also remember that they wouldn't give us our money back to return to you so we didn't choose to rent from them for round two. : ) I look back and really can't even process all that we have lived in one years time! WHEW!! No wonder we still feel tired!
Thank you God for your grace and strength and care, and thank YOU for
how you have lived and prayed and walked with us.
God is good.............Danina
Katy Remembers......................
Last year on this day I woke up at 4AM with no alarm. It was a short night for all. I think I hung up with Kristi about midnight. I clung to those last few words not sure when we would talk again. It was so hard. I knew that everyone in Houston was waking up to prepare to head to the hospital. I wasn't sure how Kristi or any of them for that matter were going to be able to put one foot in front of the other to get there. I started texting Kristi and of course she was awake. I prayed, she prayed, we all prayed. Asking for a Miracle. One thing was for sure and she knew it was that God was with her. Directing her path and holding her hand. This day held a lot of nervous and anxious energy as those of us back home waited for updates. We were all glued to our phones. Amy, Josh and I were texting as we had a different experience at home then those in Houston. I was very pregnant!! I was due with my son on June 30th. My husband was home and it was a somber day yet still trying to have a nice day with our older son. My husband and son were going to go to the pool. It was about Noon and I decided to go. I didn't want to miss out on his first swim of the season and my Mom always taught me to smell the Roses! I had no idea what to put on for the pool nor did I feel up to going. I really just wanted to lay in bed. I wasn't feeling right. My body was aching, my heart was heavy and my mind was racing with so many thoughts. I knew that Kristi was in the operating room and last I heard the next step was to make the foot long incision. They had been slicing and dicing the biopsy that my Mom asked for thinner than paper for the last few hours. I just wanted to save her. Rescue her from that operating room and take a giant eraser to the last 1 1/2 years of Cancer. I wanted it all to disappear and for Kristi's life to be restored! Instead I willed myself to my bathroom, drug on something that seemed to fit okay, and started to get ready at the sink. My phone rang and it was my Mom. I was actually terrified to pick up the phone. What would she say?! We all knew this was a high risk surgery. She said, "Katy, God gave us a Miracle. They stopped the surgery!" All I remember saying was "What?!?" over and over as my hands hit my knees and I began sobbing hysterically. Which alarmed my husband quite a bit and they both came running in. I could see on his face that he was also terrified so I just started saying "it's good, it's good". It was hard to even comprehend what my Mom was saying. It was almost too much to wrap your head around. What a huge turn in events. I can't even explain the roller coaster of emotions we had all been on for the last three months yet alone the past three days before this happened. It was a rollercoaster mentally and emotionally. We talked and she explained what she knew and we hung up. Just like what Amy said you have all this going on yet with kids and life you just have to carry on. So off to the pool we went. It was like a daze. I got to the pool and my friend was there and we cried and talked about it all and watched our kids splash in the pool. I was so anxious for Kristi to wake up. What would she think and feel!? In the meantime my body was reacting. I told my friend I think I am having contractions! I wasn't yet full term so I decided the day was just too much and I just was feeling yucky from the emotions and was having Braxton Hicks. Kristi was so excited for this pregnancy and I had told her I was going to wait till she got back from Houston to have this baby! I was sad thinking that she may miss it. But I was determined to wait for her return!! We went home and I laid around having contractions throughout the day while getting updates from Houston. Kristi walked in the hospital on the 5th thinking that she wouldn't be walking out for quite some time only to walk back out that night. It took a few months for her to really process all of that herself! God had revealed Himself to us that day in a way that we will never forget. Part of her blog post from Aug. 1, 2012 said, " So with a deep breath, I put out my right hand with my palm facing backwards and closed it tightly as if I were grabbing Jesus' hand. Aloud I uttered, "Let's go Jesus" and walked out to grab Billy's hand as well." She sadly surrendered to HIS plan on June 5th. She had Faith and confidence that He was doing a good work in her and she Trusted Him and went forward. What a great example she is to us. Later that night I called my brother Josh at 3AM and said "I need you now"!!!! Kristi had said many times "I can't wait for you to call me at 2AM saying you are having a baby"! Instead I got to call my brother. He's so amazing and we have such special memories of that time. God gave me Josh. Actually God gave Josh me because I came last as a "bonus"!! Either way we've always had each other and I'm so thankful for him and that we got to share that experience together. He's always been a rock for me. My son had a great time waking up to his Uncle!!! He arrived to my house by 4:30AM and my husband and I went to the hospital. Because I was so early they said it was false labor but that I needed to stay there so they could prove that!! But I proved them wrong! I had him that evening. In the wee hours of the following day I had the best surprise EVER! I was in the bathroom when I heard John say "oh.....my......gosh!!!" I came out to find KRISTI, Billy, Danina, and my parents with sleepy eyes but big smiles IN our hospital room! They hurried from Houston to meet him when he was barely 12 hours old! What an amazing family I have and a huge sacrifice Kristi made to jump in a car ride like that so quickly!!! They had quite the journey getting back to Ark! Another priceless gift!!! What an unbelievable 48 hours we all had! Still a year later I can hardly believe they did that!! Thank you ALL again!
Here we are a year later and she has faced more in the last 2 1/2 years than we could of ever dreamed. Dealt with the unimaginable. Persevered through things that we could never dream fathomable. She's a fighter and just as determined as ever. That's who my sister has always been ya know. A fighter. She can dream beyond the stars farther than most of us can. She goes for what she wants and always rises to the top. This time her fight has been for life. How proud God must be of His forever faithful servant!
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6
