Aching to write this

I'm quite sure this post might actually take a few hours to get up since poor Hopie is still in so much pain. She is STILL in the bathroom every few minutes. Bless her heart. We are still not out of the hardest part of this recovery. But my heart has been aching to write these words!

Have I mentioned that the Kennyboo is being tested on Monday for this SAME EXACT thing???? Hope and Taylor's doctor didn't want to waste any time to see if she has it to. I do think I will be officially pulling my hair out if she, the Kennyboo, does too. (DEEEEP Sighs) They will also do an ultra-sound on Hope to make sure the reflux is "officially" corrected so that kidney can begin to heal up!

Although my quite times with the Lord have been very "off" lately, I have some amazing things to share with you about how God has worked in our lives over the past few days.

First, the friends He has blessed me with have been incredible, two in particular who have taken my Kennedy from me for endless hours during these few stressful days. They both have one of the most incredible servants hearts I've ever seen in my life.

Other friends and family that have sustained me in prayer, their prayers have been amazing! I know, because I've felt them and so has Hopie!

Ok, now for all the big God-stops along this journey, I never want to forget:

Their was a little dog at the hospital for our pre-op visit, it was one of those therapy dogs, guess what her name was? HOPE!

Two nights before her pre-op appointment I was praying for my girly and the spirit of God overwhelmed me as song number "5" came on the CD I was listening to........The song was "God is here." A sense of peace overcame me as I knew God was saying, "I'm here."

In her pre-op appointment there were some questions and concerns that were making me nervous and I just happened to look at the nurse's clip board and there taped on it was a number "5" magnet.......I'm SO not kidding. "God WAS there!"

The OR's nurse name was Hope! No joke!

There was a random man that walked past Hope before her surgery and saw the looks of concern on all of our faces and simply said, "I'm praying for her." I never saw him again.

After her surgery we got into her room and in walks a nurse that I knew from our church, didn't know she was a nurse, and she didn't recognize our last name......TOTAL God-Ordained thing!!

There was a time on Tuesday where we were very anxious about somethings happening with Hope and I really wanted her doctor to come by and see her, he was in the OR all day and the nurses told me he wouldn't be able to come by until that night. A friend called at that moment and I told her that concern, she immediately began to pray that somehow her doctor would be able to come in........ten minutes later he just "happened" to have a break and felt like he needed to come see her!

When I sent out an e-mail on Tuesday afternoon where they were trying to make a decision as to what to do with Hope, she was having some major up's and down's, her doctor had called and recommended putting her catheter back in, after they had JUST taken it out a few hours before. She was still in so much pain and I knew it was going to be awful. I was alone with her at this time and my heart was racing for her. There was a whole team of people coming to get her to put the catheter back in and I wasn't going to be able to be with her.

I was getting a little teary eyed and prayed that God would encourage my soul in this moment, went out into the hall to get the nurse because she was in so much pain, and there stood a minister from our church........at that moment!!!

He was able to stay with me the entire time until Kris was able to get back up to the hospital. He prayed and prayed through the screams that we heard from her all the way down the hallway and continued to just hug me and be there for us. It was like the Lord in flesh!!!

There were many other times where I felt God's presence. Like, the phone would ring right in moments of uncertainty or distress or a scripture would come over me.

Weeks ago, before I knew about this surgery or any of Hope's problems, I had asked Shari Brandel if her assistant could come to our bible study and do color consultations the last night, which was this past Wednesday night. She did WAY better than that, she told me she would come AND she would speak!!! That meant that I didn't need to prepare a lesson that night, which was totally again a "God-Thing" because I was in NO shape to be teaching a big lesson this past Wed night.

She and her assistant and another friend who was doing hair consultations, did an amazing job, and even though I was overwhelmed with "mommy guilt" for being there while my girly was still in the hospital, I had peace and was even able to enjoy Shari's message! The women loved her and I'm so grateful to her for what she did for our group!!!

Well, I just wanted to share and document all that God has done in these last few days. I never want to forget how close I've felt Him this week. Turning fears into trusts isn't easy...but it works! Prayer works friends!!! It works!!!!