One Year From Transplant

I have wracked my brains trying to figure out what to say on this day, here in this space. So many people who read this blog or come into contact with John have prayed for him and helped us through the years prior to transplant, the days of fear on the list, the abject terror of the surgery and days to follow, and through this year of learning and loving and watching John's life become something that we had never even hoped possible prior to this.

I do know that I very first want to say thank you to Charity Baker and her family. I will never in all the days that I live see a crash cart and not think of the comfort that she brought to me and to us standing in that hallway waiting and watching and hoping and praying that all the people around John could save him yet again for a few more hours. Prior to this I never realized that a friend could stand so close to my heart and know and be Christ's very hands to hold and comfort and His voice to sing in the face of darkest fear or laugh in relief when we realized we had been holding our breath for hours.

I wish that I could personally take flowers to the family of the little child who died, whose organs now live inside of John and keep him very much alive. I pray for them that at this time there are good memories to hold onto, family and friends who love and surround them and most of all that they have the Hope that their dear child is in heaven. Many of the dark days of John's hospitalization all I could even think was Lord have mercy, John is Baptized in Christ, Lord have mercy, and for this family I hope that they were given that sweet Hope

I would like to make a list of all the family and friends and medical people, many who have become friends, and the people around us who helped so much. No matter how I do it that list will always be missing a name or two and so instead of writing out that huge list, and it is huge, let me say thank you, you know who you are, many others know the mercy and love that you showed to us and God bless you in all you do. Please know that we wish we could visit each of you and let you enjoy the crazy silliness that is John's reality now and give you a big hug of thanks.

We have been asked by many if we are going to have a big celebration for John's 1st anniversary of his transplant and well no, we are going to get through the day being overwhelmed with thankfulness to God for His mercy to us and probably giggling at silly stuff that John does and tonight when we tuck him safely in bed, instead of sitting in a waiting room praying he will survive, that we will continue to pray Lord Have Mercy, Christ Have Mercy, Lord Have Mercy for all the days ahead, for all the other kids who are sick, for all the people who help them and for everyone we know and love.

Many times since John's transplant surgery the following paragraph has come to mind, it is the notes from the Lutheran Study Bible concerning the creation of the world in Genesis 1 and so I attach it here to share with you, and say thanks one more time for you are one of the good things in our lives, in John's life.

God's first act, the creation, is an act of grace. God acts freely to reflect His character, making the world "very good". Even after the fall and the coming of sin, much of the goodness that God built into creation remains. Philosophers debate why evil exists, and people ask how a good God could allow bad things to happen. But is is not the existence of evil and suffering that requires an explanation; it is the existence of goodness and beauty and love that is more remarkable. A world without God cannot explain such things. The persistence of goodness reminds us of what we have lost, but it also offers us a glimpse of God's grace and the everlasting glory to which God has called us through Christ.