Remembering God's Deeds

There was a time, not that long ago but which seems like a lifetime ago when I...

I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me.

When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;
at night I stretched out untiring hands
and my soul refused to be comforted.

I remembered you, O God, and I groaned;
I mused, and my spirit grew faint.
Selah

You kept my eyes from closing; I was too troubled to speak. Psalm 77:1-4

October 12, 2007 is a date that I will never forget.

It is not a birthday or the day I was married.

It was the day we discovered there was a tumor growing in side my three-year-old daughter. I was surprised, although God was not.

Last night, I learned of a family in our community that may hear today those same words, 'Your child has cancer." They will face a flood of emotions that nothing, not even my words can prepare them for. It will be surreal, it will be frightening. They will feel the love of those around them, yet they will feel unloved. They will have many present with them, but they will feel alone. All of these moments will come and go, but they will surely come.

When I got the news at the beginning of our church service, I could barely sit through the service. My heart was broken. Partly because all of those emotions came flooding back, and partly I felt so saddened that anyone but especially people I knew would have to experience this. I wish I could carry this burden for them. I am prepared. I have been there. I began to think of all of the things I could say to them, or do for them. And then I though...

Then I thought, "To this I will appeal:
the years of the right hand of the Most High."

I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.

I will meditate on all your works
and consider all your mighty deeds.

Your ways, O God, are holy.
What god is so great as our God?

You are the God who performs miracles;
you display your power among the peoples.

Psalm 77:10-14

This is all I can really do for them. Call out to God. The God who in his mercy and grace choose to make a way for Carys to recover from her illness. To me the greater miracle of Carys' journey is the work He accomplished in our hearts. The closeness I found to Him. The many people who were {and still are being touched} by my daughter.

In good time I will see them. I will pray over them and make myself and my family available to them in any way they might need us. Yes, I could flood them with hospital advice, treatment advice and on and on and on...But I know that it will be weeks before they can process this type of information anyway. Before their hearts are ready to begin the fight. Before they are able to comprehend that their three-year-old just became the family, make that the community, missionary. This is going to change the way their world views God; it will be awhile before they can see this.

I am not sure what time they will be in clinic today. I am praying for another miracle in Clinic 8 like I witnessed on THIS DAY. Please join me in lifting up The Steele Family in your prayers.

David, Jennifer (Wallace), Mackenzie-5, and Kilya-3