Wednesday, March 20, 2013

New Life Day!


     I begged God to not let it happen.  Every day and all through the day since we first learned Sawyer was on the path to kidney transplantation, I prayed fervently to the Lord asking for His intervention and healing for my boy so he would not have to go through the surgery.

     The night before surgery was particularly hard as feelings of desperation took over.  In tears and prostrate on the bathroom floor, I cried out to God asking him to spare Karen and Sawyer from what would take place within hours.  I would do anything short of dishonoring Him to spare them.  However, the reality was setting in that there was nothing more to do except to continue trusting God in this dark place.

     Today is the one year anniversary of Sawyer's kidney transplant…. New Life Day!  Although my prayers were not answered the way I wanted, there is no doubt that God heard our cries.  He has watched over us and He has helped us. 

Getting another bucket of love from CHKD today

     This posting could become a book if we shared all the times we have recognized His intervention in our lives since this journey began.  No book writing today, but I will say that God, on most occasions,  has revealed Himself to us through the love, kindness, mercy, provision and support of others.

     Karen and I have been blown away by God working through the hearts of so many people… family, friends and even people we have never met.  They have fed us, cleaned our home, sent hundreds of cards and letters, worked in our yard (please come again soon), cried with us, helped us to make decisions, prayed for us and with us and even encouraged thousands (literally) of others across the world to pray, given many gifts including financial gifts, cared for our children… this list could go on and on.  We even had over a dozen people offer to donate their kidney to Sawyer. 

     As much as I tried to pray us out of suffering, God in His infinite wisdom allowed it to happen, but He did not abandon us in it.  We cried out to Him and He answered.

     Sawyer has a long road ahead as we navigate through his undiagnosed genetic syndrome.  However, we are grateful to reach this mile marker today.  Thank you for standing with us and we cherish your prayers.


1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
     where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
     the Maker of heaven and earth.
                                       Psalm 121:1-2


4 comments:

the bjorks said...

wow. very cool. happy "new life day," Sawyer!!!!

Unknown said...

Bautiful testimony, Toby. Celebrating with you on God's provision, despite the unwanted journey. Love you and your precious family!
Joan/Jan

Lori:) said...

Yay!! Happy New Life Day!!! Thanks for sharing your heart! God is good!

Nicole O said...

I'm sure you've seen this verse, but i literally have been reading it everyday and thought I'd share. I was recently hospitalized with severe pneumonia. And although it was no where near as severe as what your family endured, it was scary and painful and worse of all I had a major reaction to something they gave me and I was having massive panic attacks. My mother-in-law had me read this, and I literally read it over and over until the meds were out of my system 2 days later.
Jeremiah 29: 11-14
New International Version (NIV)
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.[b] I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

p.s. my cub scouts are always asking about Sawyer. I'm sure you've gotten a TON of stuff, but they sent a box full of toys, bubbles, art supplies and hand made cards for him this summer. I brought it all the way form IN when we came back to visit family and had a friend hand deliver to CPC :)