The Heart of the Matter ....

      It has been a wonderful day in this little household. I had all three kids home and we decided to have "Christmas in October!" So Christmas music is playing, ornaments have been made and gingerbread cookies are about to be put in the oven.! It feels good to be hunkered down as the leaves fall like snow from our trees.

     We are again waiting for word from the Cardiologist on the next step in diagnosing what is happening with Georgia. She is defnitely still having 'episodes' pretty frequently. They think that whatever is happening may not be diagnosable with the event monitor. Turns out that a normal EKG gives out 12 lines of information and the event monitor has only one. So they have had us do two recordings with the event monitor where Georgia is completely at rest and not episodic. Then the have had us record two episodes. Now the Cardiologist and an Electrophysisist (sp?) are trying to look at those readinds side by side to see if they can determine anything. If not, the next step is to send us a Holter monitor. A Holter is more like a traditional EKG, it has 6 leads that would be attached to Georgia for a period of time (usually 24 or 48 hours) and they would read everything that happenes with her heart during that time. A Holter gives out 6 lines of information so they can see a whole lot more.
     It honestly feels good to be at a place where I have done everything that I can and where we have a next step to figure out what is going on. I am guessing that the news we will get is to do the Holter. It is so strange how calm that feels, a portable EKG strapped to my child for a day or so to read what is going on...but the last two weeks have put so many things in a different perspective. What would have caused panic before, now feels like a relief. I do know some of the possibilities of what could be going on but this time have a peace about just waiting to see what they find out rather than searching up information. The treatments could range from medication to surgery...but time will tell and the Lord holds us now as we wait...

      Ever since we learned that she was no longer at risk for sudden death, I feel like life has again come back into focus. It is sort of like we were living in black and white and now things are in vibrant, saturating color. I just want to soak up life, the kids laughter and silly antics, my husband's warm embrace and this amazingly blessed life that we have. We walked through our own valley of the shadow of death and the Lord carried us all the way. It makes me what to  jump and shout for joy and fall to my knees in thanksgiving all at the same time. It also makes me want to keep my eyes on the One who carried us through the valley before as we approach what might be a different kind of valley.

It feels like we have learned so very much in the last two weeks about just how wide,

how long,

and how deep,

the love of Christ is.

It is so insanely mind boggling to me the ways that God let us know that He was with us during those two very dark weeks....

First, there was the woman at the groccery store when I had to do Georgia's first heart transmission...

the one who cupped her hands and reminded me that Georgia and I were in the Lord's hands as I waited on the phone...

Where can I go from your Spirit?

Where can I flee from your presence?

If I go up to the heavens, you are there;

if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

if I settle on the far side of the sea,

even there your hand will guide me,

your right hand will hold me fast.

If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me

and the light become night around me,"

even the darkness will not be dark to you;

the night will shine like the day,

for darkness is as light to you.

Psalm 139:7-12

Then, the paramedic who just happened to be getting coffee at the little dive of a gas station in the tiny town where I had to do the second transmission for her heart...

He told me he would stay even before he knew what was going on, and he did stay until we were sure Georgia was alright...

But now, this is what the LORD says—

he who created you, O Jacob,

he who formed you, O Israel:

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

When you pass through the waters,

I will be with you;

and when you pass through the rivers,

they will not sweep over you.

When you walk through the fire,

you will not be burned;

the flames will not set you ablaze.

For I am the LORD, your God,

the Holy One of Israel, your Savior...

Isaiah 43:1-3

And then I will never forget the man a Walmart...

Who sought us out and risked his job to pray over Georgia and for definitive results from the doctors...

all before he knew she had a heart condition...

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Matthew 10:29-31

and running into my friend Jenn at the mall where neither of us had been for years...

And beautiful Susan who felt led to fast and pray for Georgia,

and just happened to be with friends who stopped at a McDonald's with this cross street

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:14-19

and again in a totally different state, she happened to be eating at a restaurant on Georgia Street...

Then there was my friend who went to church with Georgia on her mind and what song did they sing?

Mighty to Save.

and then last week my friend Gretchen was driving from Florida to North Carolina...

While praying for Georgia, she looked up and this is what she saw

The LORD your God is with you,

he is mighty to save.

He will take great delight in you,

he will quiet you with his love,

he will rejoice over you with singing.

Zepheniah 3:17

 

and all of you....the Lord used your prayers and your comments to literally buoy us up at the perfect time when I didn't feel like I could go another minute because of the weight of the worry..someone would remind me of just who God is and where to lean...

So here's the deal. We will all have storms, they are a part of life, they just are.

But here's the other deal, we are not alone in the midst of them.

I am so incredibly humbled by all that God did to remind little old me that He was there, that He knew, that Georgia's heart was precious to Him.

And I believe...I know that He longs to walk that closely all of the time.

**** Those incredibly beautiful and fluffy skirts and the superhero cape came in the mail from my amazingly talented friend Valerie who has just opened up her own business to help adoptive families and orphans*****