Hope and such

Karla mentioned in a recent post that a genetic test which we expected to confirm Drew's diagnosis was, in fact, negative. That news came as a surprise to us and Drew's medical team although it hasn't changed his treatment. I was hoping for confirmation mostly to give us something to hang our hats on, but also because of the possibility of finally getting a diagnosis for myself. For those of you who don't know me, I've been sick since my teenage years and I have never received a specific diagnosis for what I have. As a father you like to see yourself in your children but this is a bit much.

The Bible is full of promises; comforting, inspiring, beautiful but also sobering, humbling and frightening. In fact, the latter make the former that much greater. We've received some great messages this past week reminding us of many of God's promises. One of the themes throughout the Bible is the promise that God provides in our times of need. His mercies are new each day, He is our strength in times of weakness, He provides that which we are lacking. Part of why I was so disappointed with Drew's negative genetic test was because I placed a measure of hope in its outcome. I would know why he has breathing problems and would probably have more certainty for the future. If my hope rests on anything other than God I will eventually be disappointed.

This has me thinking about situations. It is easy, at least for me, to become a situational relativist. I compare my situation(s) with others to measure the relative niceness or difficulty of my situation. Sure my baby is sick but he isn't as bad as some of the other babies in the hospital. Or, this sure sucks. Why can't I have a normal healthy child like those other new parents going home after delivering? That is beside the point. We have been given this situation(s) and God will provide for our every need. And I don't say this as a matter of if. God has provided our every need and He will see us through this and anything else that comes our way.

So if we put our hope in anything but God, or we are controlled by our situation(s) and their relation to other peoples situations, we will be left hopeless. We shouldn't ignore them or brush them off as easy when they're hard. We can be comforted by and seek strength from God because He promises it. Easier said than done. I pray that we don't try harder but that we react in faith. And that we remember and are thankful.

Please don't mourn us. Drew is happy and healthy (for the most part). Our days are filled with laughs and I poke fun at Karla just as much as I always have. Don't try to imagine what we are going through. Pray for us and be thankful with us. Place your hope in God and embrace your situations while being aware of others situations. And if you're going to have a beer make sure it's craft beer. Seriously.

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