Our great God

Yesterday started out quietly for me. Mark was out running errands, Markus was at Abu and Papa's and I was committed to doing a whole lot of nothing and recovering from my Thursday. I called my mom in the afternoon to check on Markus (who had just come in from feeding the "gocks"- ducks) and asked mom if Markus could stay one more night. I still felt very wiped out and lethargic. She said she wasn't planning on bringing him home until the next day anyways- which I kind of what I had figured. I hung up the phone and went back to eating an apple. 20 minutes later, Mark called. He said "Honey, I have to go to your parents' house to pick up Markus. Your dad is having a heart attack." Um, what? Three weeks ago Dad had a stent put into an artery that was 100% blocked. The doctor at that time said it was an absolute miracle he made it to that procedure. We thought we were in the clear. I quickly packed up some stuff (it's amazing how adrenaline can take away all your lethargy and discomfort in the matter of seconds) and got in a car to head to the hospital. Meanwhile, my mom was in an ambulance with my dad, my parents' best friend Rich was at the house with Markus (who mercifully had just been put down to take a nap when my dad's heart attack began), my brother was trying to figure out how he was going to get to the hospital (he doesn't drive) and my sister-in-law was in an airport in Portland. I got to the hospital just as my dad was being prepped in the cath lab after a brief visit to the ER. I was able to hold his hand, say a brief prayer in his ear, kiss his cheek and tell him I loved him. I still hadn't cried. I walked out of the room, turned the corner, and collapsed in tears. Mom and I had a good cry together and then went into "wait mode". Crying and carrying on would do us no good at that point- we just had to wait and see. We sat in the waiting room for an hour and a half. Boo and Katie took a cab to the airport while Dawn was able to get on an earlier flight from Portland. They were able to meet her there and the three of them headed down. Mark arrived at my parents' house as Markus was waking up from his nap. The doctor came out, told us that the artery that was 100% blocked three weeks ago was once again 100% blocked, leading to the heart attack. Apparently the stent wasn't doing it's job properly. They put in another stent, and dad is expected to make a full recovery. The doctor told us he wouldn't have lasted another hour without medical intervention. PRAISE GOD he was aware enough of what was going on to alert my mom immediately so she could call 911, give him Nitro, etc. 20 minutes later we met him in his room in ICU- he was already joking around with the nurses. Today he has been allowed to get up and walk around a bit and will be going home on Monday.

The theme of my week, as you have seen through my posts, has been the truth that God always goes before us, is always with us and always knows what's ahead of us. As I was driving to the hospital, I had no words with which to pray. I just kept saying "Please, Lord, please, Lord" over and over again. I had the radio on, and one of my favorite songs came on. I blasted it and sang at the top of my lungs, my heart crying out to the God who has so mightily revealed Himself to me in so many ways throughout the week, the God who had been in fact preparing me for this very day, this very moment. Here are the song lyrics. May the words God gave to Aaron Shust be as encouraging and inspiring to you as they were to me.

I am not skilled to understand
What God has willed, what God has planned
I only know at his right hand
Stands one who is my savior

I take him at his word and deed
Christ died to save me this I read
And in my heart I find a need
For him to be my savior

That he would leave his place on high
And come for sinful man to die
You count it strange, so once did I
Before I knew my savior

My savior loves, my savior lives
My savior's always there for me
My God he was, my God he is
My God he's always gonna be

Yes, living, dying; let me bring
My strength, my solace from this spring
That he who lives to be my king
Once died to be my savior

That he would leave his place on high
And come for sinful man to die
You count it strange, so once did I
Before I knew my savior

My savior loves, my savior lives
My savior's always there for me
My God he was, My God he is
My God he's always gonna be