I miss Ian. My sinful heart is often fearful of what will come of this trial and whether or not Ian and I will be able to spend our lives together. Yesterday was really hard after the meeting with his doctors. I never imagined that Ian would still be in a coma when he came home. But by getting discouraged I am saying that God isn’t able to heal Ian in eight weeks. Nothing about God has changed since our meeting yesterday- He is still completely able to heal Ian. God’s power knows no timetable. And even if Ian is in a coma five years from now, I hope to still be praying that God restores him.

I’ve been finding notecards around Ian’s room with scripture on them that he was memorizing. I’m at my parents’ house this weekend and while I was doing devotions I found one of Ian’s cards in his Bible with Psalm 73:25-26:

“Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and heart may fail but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

This is truth. Reading this scripture in Ian’s handwriting was so moving and encouraging. This is truth that is in Ian’s heart and I believe that he can bring these truths to mind now for comfort. Ian’s flesh and heart may fail him, but God is his strength and his portion forever.

This affliction in itself is sad. How it makes me long for heaven. But we have the indescribable comfort of knowing that no matter what happens to Ian’s physical body, God is his strength forever. We can delight in God and have joy in this sadness because we know there is something greater than this waiting for Ian.

-Larissa

  Filed under: Uncategorized
  Comments: None

Today none of us were able to make it to the Children’s Institute to see Ian. It makes us kind of sad to think of him going all day and not hearing the most familiar voices and not feeling the most comforting touches that he knows. And we just miss him when we’re not there.

Tomorrow (Friday) we will have our second meeting with the entire team that works with him there. It will include therapists, his doctor, a dietition, social workers, Larissa, Steve, and me. They will try to get us all caught up on his treatment and progress. Please pray that he makes regular progress in therapy because that is what they need to see to justify his stay there. They have to show that it is a real benefit to him.

Although we are looking forward to the day he comes home and we are making plans to accommodate our house to serve his needs we know that the longer he can stay at Children’s the more it will benefit him. That is, unless the Lord miraculously heals him, which would be my personal choice.

This morning I found the words of Charles Spurgeon particularly sweet. “Weren’t you ever in tight situations before, and didn’t He deliver you? Arise, go to the river of your experience, and pull up a few bulrushes, and braid them into an ark, wherein your childlike faith may float safely on the stream. Don’t forget what your God has done for you; turn over the pages of your mind, and remember the days gone by. …Haven’t you ever been helped in time of need? On the contrary! I know you have. Go back, then, a little way to the choice mercies of yesterday, and though all may be dark, light up the lamps of the past they shall glitter through the darkness, and you shall trust in the Lord until the day breaks and the shadows flee away. ‘Remember, O Lord, your great mercy and love, for they are from long ago.'”

This quote from Morning and Evening especially made me think about the mercies that I’ve seen in Ian’s life before the accident: the many times he sought prayer for difficult situations and was so grateful to see God answer them, the changes he saw in his own life when he humbled himself under the mighty hand of God and the gratitude he regularly expressed for the forgivness of his sins because of Jesus’ death on the cross.

Because of His kindness in the past, I know there will be future grace for where He takes us.

Mary (Ian’s mother)

  Filed under: Uncategorized
  Comments: None

The preliminary report from the test to determine the source of Ian’s sores in his mouth was negative, but the final report was positive for a yeast infection or thrush. I’m told it’s a very painful infection (babies commonly get it). I don’t know how he might have gotten it, but it was probably from his eye. They’re giving him a medication, now, to treat it that’s a deep blue or purple. It makes his mouth more frightening looking than it was before. Until that’s cured, speech therapy has stopped except for a few minor things.

Thanks for praying….

Steve

  Filed under: Uncategorized
  Comments: None

I guess the cultures from Ian’s mouth sores came back negative for the things they were testing, so we still don’t know why Ian has them. Please pray for wisdom for the doctors to know how to treat them.

They’re still planning to put him on a medication that will relax his arms and legs, so he’s not so tensed up all the time.

I know so many people are praying for Ian. So many people tell us that frequently. On behalf of our whole family and Larissa, thank you so much. Keep praying.

Steve

  Filed under: Uncategorized
  Comments: None

Ian’s speech therapist contacted a dentist today, looking for insight into the sores in Ian’s mouth. They are now thinking of having the dentist come to look at Ian to see if they can figure out what is going on. He is well taken care of at Children’s.

Ian was very alert this morning, and then napped on and off throughout the afternoon. When he is awake now, though, he’s very awake and moving his arms more frequently.

Over the past month, God has answered many of our prayers. Ian’s body has responded to nutrition, and he has gained 2.2 pounds. God removed the infection from his sore. God removed the flu from Ian’s body. Ian’s EEG results showed no seizure activity. His sore is almost completely healed. Let these answered prayers encourage us to keep praying. Pray that God would heal the sores in his mouth and pray that he would be able to close his right eye.

Delay in prayer does not mean that God is denying our request. We must keep knocking.

-Larissa

  Filed under: Uncategorized
  Comments: None

“Dear Jesus, please make Ian better in the blink of an eye. Make him better please for Rissa. We know you can and we won’t stop asking. We will keep praying for him to be better so he can eat normal and so Rissa will be happy and they can be together. Thank you. Amen.”

This was my cousin Leah’s prayer tonight before bed. She’s six years old. We can only imagine how many children like her are praying for Ian.

Even prayers from little ones can move mountains.

-Larissa

  Filed under: Uncategorized
  Comments: None

The morning Ian left to go to work September 30, he asked me to come along.

The night of September 29 he asked me if I would like to work with him the next day. I would have to find someone to do my paper route for me, but I didn’t really want to. The work I would do with Ian was a lot more physically strenuous than delivering papers, that’s probably why I never got around to finding a substitute. The next morning, in his paint-splattered clothes and steel-toed boots, he asked me again if I couldn’t find a sub. I said no and I didn’t really feel like working. Later I found out that Ben could have easily taken the paper route for the day. God’s sovereignty held him back.
I felt guilty when I actually thought about it in the ICU; I could have been there to pick up whatever it was that Ian was reaching for that apparently distracted his driving. My dad let me know that I could have been in the hospital bed right beside Ian. I recently have been feeling a lot less guilty.
I’m writing this to show that, in His holy sovereignty, God knew it was best for Ian’s future to put him in that accident. So that means that I could not be in that car with him. God protected me from physical harm and I’m so glad for that. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” God’s plans work out for His glory no matter how many bumps or U-turns there are. He’s in things that are small, like when you (or I) organize a basketball game with friends, even if it doesn’t work out for your schedule God may want you to see your impatience or selfishness.

I’m seeing that He doesn’t mess things up so my trust in him continually grows.

-Caleb (with alot of advice taken)

  Filed under: Uncategorized
  Comments: None

Before the accident I thought death was just news on the radio, something that happens to other people or other families, that death couldn’t happen to me or my family. But, when the doctors said death was imminent, I realized it is real and death could happen to me and that I needed to turn to Christ or I would spend eternal life in hell.

For those who have not asked the Lord to forgive their sins I would encourage them to do so, because you never know when you will die. You cannot say, “I’ll wait till next year. I don’t want to do all the prayin’ and stuff.” You need to do it now.

– Devon, Ian’s little brother

  Filed under: Uncategorized
  Comments: None

I visited Ian today, and when I got there he was wide awake. I learned, though, that he had the help today of a caffeine-like drug; they started him on it today. He did fall asleep after awhile, but it was good to see him so awake.

His mouth looks pretty irritated. His lips have scabs on them, and his tongue has something similar. I know this prevents some of his therapy, and it has to be very painful. Please pray that the Lord would heal his mouth.

I’ve been meditating on two verses. Romans 5:1 says that, “since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 8:32 says, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” Christ’s death on the cross and His subsequent justifying of us ushered in a lifetime of peace and of God’s favor though we don’t deserve it. Through his death, he justified us, declaring us not guilty and making us his favored children. So, we can have peace, and we can expect blessings. “How will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” I can’t see what the future holds, but I trust that he will graciously do good to Ian and to his family and friends.

Thanks for praying.

Steve

  Filed under: Uncategorized
  Comments: None

When Ian was getting his feeding today, he started to cough as though something was wrong. His nurse asked him if he was ok and he groaned “uh huh.” They asked him again if he was ok and he repeated his response. Wow.

Ian was also working really hard in therapy today to bring a washcloth to his face. It was the best that I’ve seen him respond to their asking him to do that, and he repeated it several times. It’s obvious that it’s not easy for him to do it, but he still works hard to do it.

Ian was very alert with me the whole afternoon and into the night. The past few days he has been very awake, and again, I can tell when he’s looking at me and that he knows what’s going on.

Ian’s most pressing need of prayer right now is for his mouth. Because he never closes his mouth, the inside of it has become very, very sore. Tonight I could tell that it was causing him a lot of pain. And because it is so sore, his speech therapist is not able to do everything that she normally would. We have seen time and time again that God answers our specific prayers for Ian, so please pray that God would heal his mouth. Pray that he would start closing his mouth and breathing more through his nose.

“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” Matt. 7:11

-Larissa

[It was only three days ago – check the blog entry – that I asked for prayer that Ian would be awake for therapy, and look at him now. Please pray that Ian would be able to close his mouth and breathe through his nose. Pray that the Lord will heal the soreness in his mouth. Thanks…………Steve]

  Filed under: Uncategorized
  Comments: None