Blog Category: Uncategorized

It’s time to wake up, Ian

By admin,

I finally got information about the surgery on Ian’s knee. One of the surgeons said that they went into the surgery expecting to clean out the wound and repair the main ligament in the front of the knee that allows Ian to extend his knee. I had wondered why they didn’t do the repair in the surgery. They didn’t do the second part because when they got in there they discovered that the ligament wasn’t damaged! God is good.

They put him in a chair today for about two hours, because you can breathe better sitting up. In that position, they tried putting him on a machine that only helps you breathe if you breathe first; it sort of pushes you across the finish line for each breath. He didn’t pass the test, so they put him back on the ventilator. In other words, he couldn’t quite breathe on his own, yet. They’re going to try that again tomorrow.

The neurotrauma people have said that they can’t do anything more for him. There are many more minor surgeries Ian faces, but he just needs to wake up now. To be honest, it’s very hard to be around the medical people now, because everything I hear is grim. He’s not made any progress. Most patients who pull through leave this ICU responding to commands (e.g. move your fingers, toes, etc.), but Ian hasn’t even come close to doing that. The sadness can be overwhelming. I have to remind myself that we serve God who is bigger than comas.

Watching my son go through this is incredibly difficult, but each time I visit I’m reassured to know that He feels none of the pain from his injuries. To think that the Father purposely crushed and tortured His Son for me, and there was no coma for Jesus to avoid the pain.

Please pray that Ian would begin to respond to commands. Pray that he would come back to us. If you visit him (which we hope you will), tell him to wake up. Talk to him. Touch him. Annoy him.

It’s time to wake up, Ian.

Steve Murphy

  Filed under: Uncategorized
  Comments: None

For Mary

By admin,

Mary,

This is for you and Ian from our friend, Zziwa John. I know that you love his prayers.

Hullo mr. lan murphy.

lts so sorrowful for the pain and sickness you are going through with your family and friends we dedicate our prayers to the lord that all the operations you are going through would be successful and the lord would restore you back to normal.

He never lets us to suffer.He suffered for us so as we could have life and joy and thats why He cured peoples in mathew 8:14-17, luke 6:17-19 and again in mathew 4:24-25 the lord is the source of life.He hears our prayers and He will put his hand of healing on your life and there would be grate changes in your life.The weakness and pain you are feeling right now is going to be taken away and you are going to be stronger and stronger in the name of the lord.
from ZZIWA JOHN

KAMPALA-UGANDA

  Filed under: Uncategorized
  Comments: None

Interpreting the signs

By admin,

I have very little information about Ian’s surgery today except that it went well. They didn’t do all that I thought they would do (e.g. reconnecting ligaments, etc.); they just cleaned out his leg and made some adjustments. I’m trying to connect with the doctor for more information and to ask why they didn’t proceed with some of the things I expected them to do.

When I visited Ian today, I noticed that his pulse and blood pressure were down to a level I hadn’t seen in quite a while; he’s been running high in both because of the fever. I asked about his temperature which was also down. They record body temperature in Celsius, so I had to ask whether it was normal. The nurse told me that his temperature was exactly where it should be, and that would explain why his pulse and blood pressure were down to where they should be. The Lord has kindly given us what we requested! His fever is not there at the moment. Please pray it continues…

After my visit today and my conversation with Ian’s nurse (a new one for Ian), I wanted to get a clearer perspective on what we have been noticing. The medical staff is understandably reluctant to commit to any conclusions that are either positive or negative when neurotrauma is such an unpredictable world. So, I called Patty Wallwork (Patty is a no-nonsense ER nurse in our church) who I knew would tell me straight what was happening. She listened to me recount all the signs I had noticed over the past few days, and she was excited about what she heard. For example, he reacts in a reflex kind of way to painful stimuli; this is somehow different than the pain he would be feeling from his injuries if he weren’t in a coma. He reacts to auditory stimuli, like someone yelling his name. He makes movements when he’s touched, especially when Larissa touches him on the foot or face. He reacts to familiar smells by turning his head. He’s being fed and hydrated intravenously, and his digestive system processes both the nutrients and the liquids almost perfectly.

I believe the Lord is preserving Ian; all the signs point that way. Please pray for a new sign: that he would respond to verbal commands (e.g. move your foot or your fingers, turn your head, etc.). It’s what the doctors have been looking for all along.

I can’t tell you how grateful we are for your prayers. So many are praying. Thank you.

Steve Murphy

  Filed under: Uncategorized
  Comments: None

Latest

By admin,

Ian’s surgery got bumped to tomorrow morning. I guess there were emergency cases that took precedence. His neuro condition is the same. He continues to move fingers and toes, to blink and to respond various stimuli. He does not respond to commands.


Thank you for praying for a miracle…

Steve Murphy

  Filed under: Uncategorized
  Comments: None

Morning Monday Update

By admin,

Dear brothers and sisters,
Mary Murphy just called me and gave me the latest on Ian. Yesterday they took a sample of spinal fluid, in another attempt to discover the source of Ian’s fever. It took them a long time to get enough fluid, because his fluid pressure has not been very good.
Today Ian is scheduled to have another surgery on his right knee. The doctor wants to clean it further and try to repair any ligaments that he can. Mary said that Dr. Ivan Tarkin, his surgeon said that he is treating Ian very aggressively, in the same way he would treat his own brother and desires to give Ian the best use of his leg. Isn’t God good to give Ian a doctor who has such a wonderful attitude! The surgery is very complicated, so let’s pray that God would give Dr. Tarkin wisdom. I would love to see Dr. Tarkin go in there and find the knee completely healed – that’s what I just prayed. But most of all, we should pray that God will do whatever will most glorify himself.
Let us also pray that God will heal Ian’s fever.
A side note: Yesterday Mary talked with one Ian’s nurses, Traci, who stopped by on off hours to see Ian. She is a Christian and has been praying for Ian. Traci said that she and her husband were going to be having a block party, because her husband is trying to start a church in their area. May God bless their efforts and give them a miracle to tell unbelievers about as they launch their church!
This morning I read this passage:

Mark 7:25-30 (ESV)
25 But immediately a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. 26 Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 28 But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29 And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” 30 And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.

This woman knew how inexhaustible Jesus’ power was. She knew that even after meeting all the needs of the Jews (the children), that even the leftover “crumbs” of Jesus’ power would be enough to heal her daughter. All we need is a “crumb” of Jesus’ infinite power to accomplish miracles. All we need is one little word, one little touch. All we need to do is touch Jesus’ hem with our finger. All we need is faith the size of a mustard seed.
This woman also knew that Jesus was compassionate, merciful and generous. And she was also convinced that he would respond to bold, persistent requesting. This woman demonstrated that God is a rewarder of those who seek him.

“Some mercies are not given to us except in answer to importunate (bold, persistent) prayer. There are blessings which, like ripe fruit, drop into your hand the moment you touch the bough. But there are others which require you to shake the tree again and again, until you make it rock with the vehemence of your exercise, for only then will the fruit fall down.” — Spurgeon

So let’s ask God for fresh strength to continue to persevere in asking, seeking and knocking.
Let’s keep shaking the tree till the fruit falls down!
Mark

  Filed under: Uncategorized
  Comments: None

The Great Reward

By admin,

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

This is a sweet promise from scripture and kindling to set our prayers ablaze. God promises to reward those who seek Him. The One who owns all things promises that if we diligently seek Him, He will reward us. God is not stingy. Prayer is not simply putting God into a supernatural headlock and forcing Him to say ‘uncle’. No, He is eager to give us good gifts! He is eager to reward our diligent prayers. Scripture describes God as being the Fountain of Living Water. He’s not a shopping mall fountain that squirts tiny streams of water and is filled with pennies. No, God is a gushing, overflowing, life-giving fountain of grace! When we pray, we are coming to a God that is simply itching to reward us. How do we know this? Because He has already given us the greatest gift. He has already given us the most precious gift of His son. Therefore we can be certain that God will reward us when we seek Him. If He readily gave up Christ, who is of infinite value, won’t He give us lesser things as well?

Let this truth set your prayers for Ian ablaze. Let us ask great things of God! He is eager to reward us when we seek Him. Let us ask Him to touch Ian in a miraculous and astonishing way. Let us ask Him to do what seems absolutely impossible. He is a fountain of grace, and He is eager to overflow.

-Stephen A

  Filed under: Uncategorized
  Comments: None

By admin,

A few days ago the doctors “dialed down” Ian’s ventilator. Today, they dialed it down further, so I think that means he’s breathing better, which is a good thing. The chest x-ray of his lungs looked nice and clear today, which is an improvement. They have him on an ice sheet of sorts to control his fever; he even had goose bumps! Mostly, he’s just sleeping and healing.

Thanks for your continued faith-filled prayers for Ian.

Steve Murphy

“I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me…your blessing be on your people! Selah”
(Psalm 3:5, 8)

  Filed under: Uncategorized
  Comments: None

The Murphys

By admin,

The waiting rooms of the neurological ICU’s and the halls that connect them have been a classroom for the last 2 weeks. I wish that every Christian could have been in this class. I thank God that I was.

From the very start Steve, Mary and Ben have been our instructors. From the first moments of the trauma, when Steve said, “I’m just glad to know that there is a good God is in control of all of this.” we learned that this truth was rock solid to stand on when their world was turning upside down and falling on their heads. He continued this confession through the darkest hours of the trial, when it seemed that Ian was sure to die. We saw the peace and comfort of the Lord in the tempest. He continues to rest in God’s goodness, love and sovereignty and he instructs the hearts of everyone he speaks with. He gave a message at our church some time ago and said that the promises of God are like ice in a Minnesota winter. It’s so thick that you can jump and jump and it and you won’t fall through. He proving that to us now.

Mary’s first words to me were, “I feel so bad for Larissa.” How does a mother care about anyone when her son is hanging between life and death. Here was living proof that His grace and strength are sufficient in the worst situation imaginable. Mary didn’t just care about Larissa. She cared about everyone, her family, her friends, Ian’s friends, and the other families. She was a comfort to all who came. She wasn’t looking for care from anyone. It was obvious that Someone was caring for her in secret. On the first Monday night, she wanted Ian’s friends to come and see him, so that they could see the brevity of life. Then we prayed, and she began thanking God that Ian had finished his short race well. She thanked Him that He had brought him such happiness in life as well as bringing Ian the love of his life. She didn’t utter any of these things, because they were the “right” things to say. Her prayers were sincere and true. Her invisible Strength is obvious to the other mothers up on that floor. One mom remarked several times about her strength. Another called her remarkable. She’s having a very powerful influence for the Lord.

What can I say about Ben? I really want to be like him. It was as if he couldn’t thank the Lord too much or say to much about Him to anyone nearby. He worshipped; he prayed; he shared the Gospel and then did it over and over again. His confidence in the Lord was and is astounding. It was so encouraging. He was talking with an unbeliever and said, “It’s my brother who’s dying back there…” and then went on to tell the man about Jesus. During one wonderful time of prayer, he kept reading Scriptures about His faithfulness to answer prayer and then prayed that even if Ian died God that would make the rest of us able to continue what Ian had started and be faithful the way that Ian had been.

For those watching them from the outside, we saw and continue to see the most incredible display of sorrow and joy mingled together in the Murphys and it’s beautiful. They all are doing the most beautiful things for Jesus in their dark trial and it’s been an honor to watch and wait with them the little that I was able. I love Jesus more because of them.

-Kristi

  Filed under: Uncategorized
  Comments: None

Coma Is A Not Scary Word

By admin,


Coma. It’s a scary word. It brings to mind all the worst possibilities. But take a moment to call to mind the types of people that Christ healed. He raised paralytics. People that hadn’t taken a single step in decades. He freed demoniacs. People that were slaves to demons and absolutely could not get free. He restored lepers. Men and women whose flesh was rotting and falling off their bodies. He breathed life into people that had been dead for four days! Lazarus was dead for a full four days before Jesus spoke life back into his body.

Jesus is not intimidated by comas. The One who knit Ian’s brain together is not scared by the word ‘coma’. With but a touch He can cause Ian’s brain to begin working at full capacity. With but a simple touch He can miraculously mend the destruction that took place in Ian’s knee. Hebrews 11:6 tells us, “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” God promises to reward us when we seek Him. Let that stir you to pray for Ian! There is a great reward for those who seek God. Let’s seek God on Ian’s behalf.

  Filed under: Uncategorized
  Comments: None

Sleep, Ian

By admin,

There’s nothing much to report on Ian tonight; he just looks like he’s laying there in his bed sleeping. I was talking to one of the medical staff, though, about Ian’s condition asking for specifics and about how they were treating each. I had noticed that the heart rate and blood pressure were higher than normal, and I asked if that was related to the fever that has perplexed them for several days. She didn’t know. I asked if he had received any pain medications, and she responded in a peculiar way. She answered my question by saying, “yes, as needed, but he hasn’t needed them.” Surprised, I asked how they knew when he needed them. She said that an increase in the heart rate and blood pressure could indicate that the patient felt pain; she said they conclude that a patient has felt pain when the pain medication reduces both the heart rate and blood pressure. They had administered the pain medication and found that it did absolutely nothing…so he feels no pain. Choked up, I thanked God again for the coma, because his brain registers no pain. If he continues in the coma till the Lord takes him home or till the Lord does a miracle on his knee or till the natural God-designed process (assisted by skillful doctors) runs its course to a recovery, he’ll feel no pain. God is kind.

So, sleep, Ian. We’ll wait.

Thank you for your prayers.

Steve Murphy

  Filed under: Uncategorized
  Comments: None