Friday, September 26, 2008

Thankfulness

I want to start this post off by saying, "Thank you!" My family and I have been so touched by the outpouring of prayers and well wishes from all of you.

Proverbs 16:24
"Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones."


It's hard to admit sometimes, but I struggled so much with starting this blog. I felt the Lord leading me to do it, but inside, I was so fearful. Fearful of looking and sounding like an idiot, and I was even more fearful of tens of people reading whatever I wrote and telling me that I looked and sounded like an idiot. Writing was not (and still isn't) my strong point. If you don't believe me, just ask my "Remedial Writing Composition" teacher that I had in college.

Sigh.

Much like Moses, I argued with God as He was leading me to write and share stories about Him and His presence in my life.

Exodus 4:10-12
Moses said to the LORD, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue." The LORD said to him, "...I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."


And much like Moses, I got over myself and followed God, and I am so thankful that I did.

I have been overwhelming blessed through this journey in Blog Land. I am just so thankful to have met each and every one of you. You have all been such a blessing to me and my family.

I have been at the hospital with my dad for most of this past week, which is why I have not been able to give you an update before now.

As I type this he is pulling up in the driveway of his home.

It has been an incredibly long week, but we have all been blessed beyond measure.

I was the first person in the family to see my dad once he was awake and had the ventilator tube removed.

When he saw me, his eyes lit up, and he said, "Hey, Sissy!" And then he looked at me very seriously and asked, "Am I alive, Amy? Did I make it?"

And I answered him by saying, "Yes, Daddy, you are alive; you did make it."

Sigh. Thank you, Jesus.

His recovery has been amazing! Although he has a long way to go, he has come so far.

Yesterday, the physical therapist came by to help him walk, and he walked a long way down the CVICU unit hall and all the way back again. It dawned on me as I saw him walking, that last Friday, when my mom brought him to the hospital for his heart cath, he had to ride in a wheelchair from the hospital entrance to the Same Day Surgery unit. He was in such bad shape that he could not walk that far. Then, there he was, just three days after surgery, walking farther than he had walked in a year.

It was incredible to see, and I was once again reminded of his "blessing" that I pulled from the blessing jar at the hospital.

Psalms 13:5-6

"I trust your love,

and I feel like celebrating

because you rescued me.

You have been good to me, LORD,

and I will sing about you."


God did indeed rescue him.

I have quite a few stories to share with you about our experiences this week, but for today, I just want to tell you all that he is doing well.

He will, obviously, have a long recovery ahead of him, but the surgery went so much better than we could have ever hoped for, and he had the best sense of humor even on the roughest days.

One morning while I was in the room with him, he looked at me and said, "Amy, when you leave, tell your mom to come in here. I want to talk to her about my will."

I looked at him strangely for a second, hoping that he was not going to get all morbid on me.

Then he continued talking and said, "I want to tell her.....that I don't have any money....." At that point he started laughing so hard, that he had to grab his heart shaped pillow and hug it tightly to his chest.

(You can probably tell from that comment where my sense of humor must come from.) ;)

I have always heard that our attitudes through difficult situations are half of the battle, so when he was making jokes the day after surgery, I realized that he was going to be just fine.



Psalms 100

"Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations."


25 comments:

My Blessings From Above said...

Amy,
I'm glad your dad is doing so well. I'm praying for his full recovery.
I am so thankful that you followed God's lead and started this blog! I am so happy to know you!
Love,
Michele

much2ponder said...

WOW! you have been busy...sorry, Amy--I have not been on the computer much and I had no idea about your dad. Sounds like things are going well though, Praise the Lord! I love the scripture versus you shared. Especially the last one...whenever I read about the generations to come, my heart skips a beat it seems.

I am praying right now as I write this that your dad will make a full recovery and be able to enjoy his family in ways that he never has before. Lord bless this man and his daughter. For I know you love them so. Amen!

Smiling Shelly said...

What a blessing! I am so glad to know that he is doing well and on his way to a full recovery.

((BIG HUGS))

sa061545@bellsouth.net said...

Thanks again to all of you lovely bloggers for praying for Amy's Dad and my husband, Johnny. He knows that he has been rescued from the deep and is so very grateful!
We love you all!!!!
Amy's Mom :)

AND, I LOVE MY AMY!!!!! She was a little trooper, waiting on him hand and foot and is much better with him than me! He fusses at me but he won't fuss at her! She made sure he puffed his puffer, asked for pain meds if needed, etc. She is a blessing to us from above and I can never thank her enough!!!! I love you my angel baby girl! :)
Mom

Tracey said...

Walking farther then he's walked in a year! WOW! WONDERFUL!!

Paula V said...

I am SOOOOOOOOOO glad to see this post. I had emailed you a couple days ago and had not heard from you. If my blog list didn't show an update on your blog, I was going to immediately email Mia. I didn't figure I could email and reach your mom since she'd be where you are.

I was concerned something had gone for the negative with your pa.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but from all your comments and even your momma's comments above you are a HUGE daddy's girl? :-) hehe

So, so, so glad to hear from you.

I absolutely LOVE your dad's comment about his will. To tell your mom I have no money...that is a HOOT!!!!

Love ya, girlfriend.
Paula

Gina said...

Praise God Amy!!! I am so glad your Dad is doing well. Thanks for the update.

God bless,
Gina

Laura said...

Oh, Amy! I'm so glad your dad is doing well. Hallelujah! Can't wait to hear about how God worked in you this week.

Mia said...

I can't tell you how many times I have come to visit (your blog!!)just to see if you had checked in. I got the update email from your Mom and I knew you were up there at that hospital probably blessing the socks off anybody you came in contact with.
Your Daddy sounds like a sweetie pie! I am so thankful to the Lord that everything went well and he is home now.
I know how hard it must have been on you physically too!
But out of love and out of the wonderful gal you are you took care of your Dad!!
I am so glad you are a blogger!!!
Take care of yourself you are very special to alot of people! : )

Karma said...

hi there! i still love your blog!

Pleasant Living said...

Amy, thank you for sharing about God as our Great Physician and Healer. I'm so glad that He's shown his faithfulness in your dad's life. I will pray for a speedy recovery for him.

Unknown said...

HALLELUJAH!! Oh Amy I am in tears. God is just so *so* good. Tell your daddy he raised a beautiful daughter and we are so glad he passed along his sense of humor to you. Praising God that all is well. Glad to see you back. I missed you!

Aleisha said...

It's great to hear your dad is doing well. As well as your family. Good luck to your dad and his recovery.

Aleisha said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
valerie said...

I'm so glad to hear the good report on your dad.
Thank God he's doing so well and thank God your dad has such a precious little daughter like you.
I love the picture of you and your daddy when you were a baby. That bought tears to my eyes.
God is good and we are thankful!
Looking forward to more stories.
Love,
Valerie

Dee said...

I feel like anythig I say will pale in comparrison to these lovely words that have been written. You know how nosy I am.

I am relieved and greatful to hear all is ok. This whole expereince has been abundant with blessings for you and your family, as it should be.

Welcome back, I missed you.

LynnSC said...

Oh Amy,
I have been away for too long, I had no idea of what all has been going on with your dad. I am glad that he is doing so well.

If you are waiting on him... you must also be doing better. What a blessing my visiting your blog has been for me today.

Great news!! Thanks so much for sharing it with us.
Lynn

Half Gaelic, Half Garlic! said...

Hi Amy,

I am so glad to hear that your Dad is doing well and on the road to recovery!

You are so right, having a good attitude is half the battle!!

Hope you get some time to relax this weekend!

Lisa

Michel said...

Hey girl, hope you are getting some rest. The blog for the lady doing my Proverbs study is jeanstockdale you only have to type that in. I will pray that you and your mom and dad have a good week. Hope the boys have lots of clean clothes hahahaha... love ya

Michel said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
3Strands said...

Glad dad is doing better, God is good, now about youre writing, you have a wonderful gift for it, and putting down youre thoughts and being an inspiration to others, I myself wouldnt have started a blog if i hadnt have read yours, not that mines as good as yours---:) but a good way to put down youre thoughts, take care.........Bo

Pamela (His maidservant) said...

Amy, I am so sorry I missed being involved in praying for your father. Working two jobs (my husband has been recently unemployed) leaves me little time to blog. you are again in my thoughts and prayers!!!

God is with you!!

In His Graces~Pamela

amy said...

I am so glad to hear that your daddy is doing so well! And what sweet words from your mom too! What a blessing you are to so many, Amy.

Tina said...

Ah, your dad...CRACKing jokes in the hospital...yep, sounds just like something you would do...so you did get it from him! :)

I'm so glad he's doing well!!

Japhia said...

I literarily "tripped" across your blog when google searching for a "chocolate pie" recipe ... but have been SO blessed and encouraged by the precious words I have found on several of your posts. Read about your dad ... and related with a journey with my own dad last year ... that lasted eight months, ....but, I am happy to report that he is now home too! Amy ... you do not know me ... and I don't have a blog for you to follow ....only thanks to offer you for a lovely time spent in friendship with you through the pages of your written heart. May God bless you as others discover Him through you. Blessings, Japhia