One Week and One Day

Isn't the title of my post brilliant?

Another day of instability for little Isaac. They'll be doing his next echocardiogram on Saturday so we'll know then if the medicine has done it's job. Aside from that complication, they also think he may have some kind of infection. We're still waiting for all of the results. He also received his third blood transfusion today. (Deep sigh). Truthfully, I try not to think about any of this. I'm staying away from the informational booklets at the hospital and the vast research on the internet. This is completely out of character for me--I'm usually scouring the net for answers. All the research and knowledge in the world have absolutely zero impact on Isaac's outcome. Don't get me wrong, I am forever indebted to the staff at Aultman Hospital for giving my son phenominal care. And, if not for medical advancements, he would have no chance at all. What I am saying is God is in control of Isaac's life. I have NO control. My time is much better spent praying and spending time with Hannah. So this is what I'm doing.

Hannah and I stopped in to visit Isaac this morning and this evening. I chatted with his nurses and Hannah took her shorts and shoes off. We went to the mall and to Target...anything indoors because it was super hot here again today. We also spent some time at the home of one of the staff from the NICU. She was very kind to let us come over and let Hannah play with her kids. It was a nice break for both of us. Tonight Hannah took a bath with bath crayons that a friend sent to us in a care package. She'd never used them before and she loved it. Drawing on the tub...how much better can life be for a 2-year old?!

Since Isaac is in no condition to be transferred, we are anticipating being here 2-4 more weeks. We're trying to figure out what's next. Right now, it's costing us about $140/day for the hotel and food. Once Isaac is cleared to be transferred, we estimate the cost of the flight to be around $7,000. Unfortunately, since his transfer would not be medically necessary, just for convenience sake to get him to Grand Rapids, insurance will not cover the transfer. What we anticipated to be about a $10,000 adoption is now in the realm of $21,000-$23,000. How ironic that one of the reasons we stayed away from international adoption was the cost. God is laughing, I just know it.

We have some friends facing some significant life changes, as well. They lost their 3-month old daughter 2 years ago today. Then, this past January, Josh, a 30 year old husband and father, was paralyzed in a swimming accident. (You can follow their blog at http://www.greenhouseministries.org/)

When I think about the life events and losses we all face, I think about Jeremiah 29:11. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

No matter what obstacles we face, God has no intention of hurting us, rather, he has plans that are far greater than we could have ever imagined. I don't know what God has in store for Josh and Shelly, but I can guess it's far better than they could have ever imagined. I look forward to the day when God reveals to them his true intentions.