It Is Well

So, needless to say, I have learned alot through these past 2 years with our Eli. I named Eli Eli not because we just loved the name (although now we do), but because Eli means "lift up as an offering." I didn't know just how much we would have to "lift up" Eli. From the moment we brought him home from the hospital we have been on our knees. First it was a scare that he might have strep B, (a very deadly bacteria) and within 10 minutes of being home with him, the hospital called us back for blood testing. I never felt fear like that. We had to wait 4 days for the results. I cried alot those few days. Thankfully, he tested negative. He was a fussy baby over the first 6 months or more. He had thrush for 9 months that nothing could fix until he was old enough to get a stronger medication. At 2 months he developed a mastocytoma on his leg. One of these was okay, but if he developed another we would have a lifetime of miserable medical problems. The Dr.'s said that if he didn't develop anymore by 2 years old, we were in the clear and this one would eventually go away. At 6 months he got a flu shot, and developed a horrible cough that lasted for months. He sounded like he had cystic fibrosis. We found at 6 months later that he was highly allergic to egg. The flu shot is made from egg. We now understand the cough. At 9 months old, Eli developed patchy rashes all over his trunk, legs and arms as well as eczema on his extremities. And here we are over a year later with no answers. We thought we had them so many times, but eventually we were always back to square 1. Well, you all know the rest.


What I am beginning to see is just how much Eli's affliction has brought both Kevin and I to a deeper and more intimate relationship with our Lord. This past week in Florida, KEvin and I decided to literally write our sorrow in the sand. I wrote a big fat ECZEMA first, and watched as the waves eventually washed every letter away. We let go. WE cried together and held on to eachother, knowing that we may not have the answers right now, but we have a Saviour who we can cling to in times of trial. We have a Saviour who longs for us to know Him, love Him and HOLD ON TO HIM. Because God does not promise that we won't face trials, in fact HE says, "Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know the testing of your faith develops perserverence." (James 1:2-3) And "These come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."

(I Peter 1:7)

So, when there are days like some

of the days we had in Florida:

I chose to CLING to my Father, like Eli does:

"My soul clings to you;

your right hand upholds me." (Psalm 63:8)

When we do that, there really is inexpressible and TRUE JOY.