Good Reminder

The text we chose for Dr Bilkes to preach on in our wedding ceremony has now made it to our livingroom wall. Last May I asked a friend of ours to paint a picture for us (partly for Ian's birthday). Now that the painting is done and the bible verse is up, I decided to show you all what it looks like. 

 Close up- the picture I took is a little crooked.. but I think you get the idea!!

It is a good reminder to us every day to "Be still and know that I am GOD". I heard recently of a pastor say if we are always anxious about the big storm coming or why things are not going our way, then we are actually showing our unbelief in the Lord. Not truusting that He has everything in control and will pull us through what ever trials He brings in our path. He has ordained everything to happen, He knows the struggles we will go through. He puts in our path only what He knows we can handle, and that doesn't mean what we can handle by ourselves either. Sometimes the struggles we face are what bring us on our knees to the Lord asking for His guiding hand in our lives and through the trial. So many times we think we can handle it on our own, but the Lord has other plans for us. Take what happened to Mike Maartense last week (I posted about it here). What a tragic accident to occur in a young family with 4 kids who are having a hard time understanding the seriousness of their dad's injury and wonder when he will wake up. 

His wife, Pam, updated his care page the other day, and it is a reminder to us all of what God has done already and what He can do. She understands the Lord is in control even in this situation.

"While following our BSF sister Ellen VanOss on her Care Pages for years I commented to Michael more than once that if we were ever in a position to have a Care Page it was my hope that God would enable us to glorify Him in like manner. Ellen is at home with her Jesus now. God in His infinite wisdom has allowed life's events to place Michael in critical condition and I have the song, "May All Who Come Behind Us Find Us Faithful" in my head. It's an old song, I think it was my brother Steve's class song way back in 1992. But it's the desire of Michael's heart and mine. May all who come behind us find us faithful in relying on God, trusting Him when it hurts so badly and seems so overwhelming from our earthly perspective. Pray with us that God grants healing to Michael and that He continues to be glorified.As of this afternoon, Michael is demonstrating some reflexive movement and making breathing effort on his own with the support of the ventilator. The next bit of time will present the decision about the placement of a trach but we aren't quite there yet today.He had a feeding tube put in place today allowing them to give him formula nutrition and enabling them to crush pills and give them to him that way if needed.The neurosurgeon has told us that in cases like Michael's 1/3 of patients make no recovery, 1/3 make a poor recovery and 1/3 made a reasonable recovery.We ask that you pray that Michael makes a miraculous recovery. Pray for emotional and spiritual protection for our four children who are wondering if Dad is going to be okay and when he will wake up. Pray for peaceful sleep for me tonight. I got about three hours of rest last night at the hospital. Pray for others to be brought to see and believe in Christ's power and presence.Thank you so much for the outpouring of prayers. So many loved ones and friends have their church prayer lines going. Our church had a time of prayer for Michael in the hospital chapel last night. A group of Holland/Zeeland BSF men prayed together at the hospital today and are having a special time of prayer tomorrow as well. A friend let me know the hospital chapel is reserved for prayer for Michael from 10:30-11:30 tomorrow. Please join us in prayer at that time wherever you are.I was so humbled to hear from a BSF lovely that one of her friends who I had prayed for a year ago when she lost her husband in an accident is now interceding for me and our family.I feel that God was preparing me a tiny bit through the devotional I read to my second graders Thursday morning, right about the time Michael was en route to the hospital. It was a reminder that God promises to be our strength in our weaknesses. I'm certainly feeling so very weak and overwhelmed now. But I'm reminding myself that God's strength will be sufficient. Please continue to pray for that strength.Thank you and love to so many of you dear ones.Note: We do ask for no visitors except immediate family for Michael. We need to avoid much stimulation and allow his brain to heal. You may gladly show your support for the family members in the waiting room if you wish." 

Here is the link to his care page. You may need to sign in to see it but it only takes a couple minutes and it is worth it.