Two years ago today (Thursday, October 9, 2008) I received a call from my dad telling me it was time to "come home." He was calling from Seattle Children's Hospital, where my 13 year old sister Abigail was in intensive care. Though not in despair, my heart sank. Such a phone call could only mean one thing: it was not looking good.
Abi had been battling a flesh eating bacteria called necrotizing fasciitis, which had infected her face and was literally eating it away. Throughout the week, doctors performed multiple surgeries to remove the infected tissue, but they were not gaining any ground and there was little more they could do for her.
I recall the feeling of starting out on that journey home, not knowing if I would see my sister once I reached the other side or not. Greater still, I recall the peace that I felt in the midst of such uncertainty.
Two years later I can only praise God for what He did that year. There are so many ways in which He worked through that situation - too many to even tell. Someday, when I see Him face to face, I know I will understand more fully all that He accomplished through it, not only in my life, but also in the lives of those who were touched, who prayed, who gave, who heard.
As I have remembered the events of that week, replaying them in my mind, I am overwhelmed by the mercy, the power, the grace, the sovereignty, and the love of God. Who am I that He would allow such a thing into my life and reveal Himself so beautifully through it?
My eyes are a bit sore, and I will probably have to rinse my contacts out once or twice before the day is through, but I embrace it joyfully. Honestly, I hope that I feel like this every October. I hope that I am always moved to tears in remembering what God did. I hope I never forget the way it felt. I hope I never take for granted the time that God has given.
My sister is alive... two years later..... and still counting.....Labels: family, prayer, reflections