Peace Be Still

Sandy asked me to convey to all of you how grateful she is for all of the cards, calls, well-wishes, and prayers. Knowing that a vast army of people are standing with her brings immense comfort.

Her incision is rather impressive! And we can only see the stitches in the skin, not the many stitches through the layers underneath the skin. There is still a small area that is numb, and her system is not fully functioning as she'd like. Pain has been more of an issue today, though she has had moments of feeling pretty ok. Tonight she began to feel badly, in some ways similar to how she felt before the bout with sepsis - we were all watching her closely, and thankful to see that her temperature did not continue to rise. There is definitely a concern about the current stent becoming blocked and/or infected. 

Many of you have been waiting to call Sandy, as requested when this blog began. She said it is ok for people to call her, though when she is resting, or playing UNO with a grandkid, she won't answer.  While you may want to ask a million questions about how she is doing, it is also great to have one or two topics ready to talk about with her. She is the same Sandy she was before this journey began, though it is easy to begin to feel defined by a diagnosis. 

Please pray for a swift recovery from surgery, absence of infection, quality rest, and peace - especially when she begins to feel worse, worrying another trip to the ER will be required.

Our kids have listened to various scripture lullaby cds since they were born. Sometimes I think the songs are more for the adults than the kids! One song in particular feels like it gently washes peace over us every time it plays. It is called Peace Be Still, by Scripture Lullabies, Volume 3.  Below is a link to listen to part of the song, followed by the lyrics.

Jesus did not suggest that the winds and waves stop in Mark 4:39 - He commanded that they stop. In the same way, God does not merely suggest that we might want to consider being still (Psalm 46:10) - He commands us to be still! How in the world are we to be still with so much going on all around us? How can our hearts and emotions be characterized by still waters when everything around us is going crazy? Only one way - choose to focus on truth. The truth is that God operates outside of human time. While He certainly cares about each of us and our life circumstances, He also sees the bigger picture that we cannot see, at least not on this side of heaven. When God promises to work all things for our good, we assume that we will see and recognize the "good" during our lifetime, and that the "good" will align with our definitions of good. But God doesn't say that part. Do we trust Him and His love for us…regardless of what we can see with human eyes? Can we fix our eyes on Jesus at all times, including when all of life is going well and when it is all falling apart? We cannot control much of what comes our way, but we can choose where we will look.

Our prayer for YOU is that no matter what twists and turns are part of your life's journey, you will choose to look at Jesus, and quiet your hearts so you can hear Him gently reminding you of His love.  He alone knows the ending, and He assures us it is good.


Peace Be Still
http://www.scripture-lullabies.com/shop/home.php?cat=253

Waves are crashing all around

Thunder roars as rain pours down
I am so afraid

There's no shelter I can find
My heart pounds as waters rise
Hope is far away
Then I hear You say

Peace be still
Peace be still
There's no need to worry
Peace be still

Fear has taken hold again
I can feel it closing in
I know You're here

And even now I hear your voice
Through the storm and through the noise
All my fears fall away
When I hear You say

Peace be still
Peace be still
I will calm Your storm
Peace be still