Standing in the gap

It's been a day of thankfulness for me.

We started the day headed to Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock faced with possibilities too scary to articulate. At that point I was thankful.

thankful for the many family and friends going before the throne of my Heavenly Father on behalf of my son and our family. I thought of the opening of the movie It's a Wonderful Life as we were driving to Little Rock. You know the one. It shows aerial shots of different homes in Bedford with the audio of prayers:

"I owe everything to George Bailey... Help him, dear Father"

"Help my son, George, tonight."

"I love him, dear Lord. Watch over him tonight..."

"Please bring Daddy back."

I pictured that happening for our family today.

We felt those prayers. They surrounded us with peace. A peace that passed understanding.

Then I was grateful for the health of my kids. Yes, we were facing uncertainty, but we had had 10 very healthy, easy years with Eldest and his brother and sister are totally healthy. A few minutes in Children's will remind most parents how fortunate they truly are. We were only in the ENT/Eye clinic and I saw children in such need.

I am going to try and be more grateful...when my kids talk back and yell at each other, many kids will never be able to verbalize; when my kids run through the house and leap on the furniture (even though I've asked a bazillion times not too), many kids will never even walk; when my kids fuss about doing their homework; many kids will never have the cognitive ability to add 2+2.

Finally, I was grateful for mercy. I knew going in that the best-case scenario for the day would have us coming home with glasses...the worst, well, I won't even go there. Once again my Heavenly Father showed that only he really knows. He showed me again the power of prayer. We came home with eye drops...over the counter eye drops.

No scary diagnosis.

No MRI.

Not even glasses.

How mighty is the God I serve!

Thank you to those who stood in the gap for our family today.