We ended up leaving without getting all the blood they needed, because it would have been too emotionally taxing on us as parents to have had a round three. Jacqueline and I decided that we will wait until he is a little older with easier-to-find veins before we try that again.
Enjoying a lazy Saturday afternoon.
Jacqueline has gone to the Goodwill to procure some deals on clothing, little man is asleep in the other room, and I am having a glorious saturday afternoon, wishing I had a way to watch some college football.
But in the quietness I am confronted with my inability to rest. I just listened to the song “Jesus I am Resting, Resting” and just sort of rolled around in the truth that Jesus is my true rest, and provides a way somehow for me to rest in the midst of all the chaos of life. What a glorious truth. In direct contrast to all the religions in the world, Jesus calls Christians to REST. To rest. I am not supposed to diligently pray five times a day, not supposed to pilgrimage to Mecca, not supposed to work to assure that I am in right standing with God, not to meditate or chant or wrestle, but just to rest.
My western culture doesn’t encourage rest. Even as I type these words, I can think of dozens of things I could be doing. I have work to do for the fall getaway coming up. I have students I could call to schedule appointments. I have potential supporters I could call to line up appointments to raise support.
But I need to rest, to enjoy the finished work of Christ for me. My worth is no longer tied to my performance. It is wrapped up in the life He lived, in the death, burial and resurrection He went through for me. What a gift. “Oh how marvelous thy goodness, LAVISHED all on me!”
So, before the hustle and bustle of doctors, surgeons, and campus, in the quietness of a house with only the sounds of a fan and soft baby’s breath coming from the other room. I am resting, resting.
Manual Labor Day.
I just got done operating a John Deere tractor, tilling up the garden at my parents’ house. We are here in Winston because Jenn and Clyde’s wedding yesterday got us about halfway here, and we have the consultation at the surgeon here (at Baptist Hospital) tomorrow. Stay tuned, as I am sure I will be updating the blog as soon as we know more and are able to process it all. (as you may have found out, I process it by writing it down)
Yesterday at the wedding it was so great to see a ton of staff friends, and get to connect. Being on staff with Campus Crusade is great, because you get to be a part of a big, messy family. There are something like 200 people on staff in our region with the Campus ministry (as opposed to, say, the Jesus Film ministry or the Military ministry), and we get to see them all just a few times per year. So a wedding between two of them is a great chance to get to see them an extra time!
It was an emotionally draining time, though, because many of our staff family are not as into blogs as we are, so many didn’t know about Benjamin’s health issues. It’s funny having to discern here in the south whether or not someone is really asking “how are you doing” or just saying it to fill up air. I do the same thing, so I am not throwing rocks, just saying that when “We are doing good” is not the whole truth (and at times an outright fabrication), it makes for an interesting answer to the question. I just have to remind myself that, in Christ, I am getting far better than I deserve, in spite of the circumstances. So I can say “I’m doing good!” and not be lying. Because everybody doesn’t want to know.
I could just hand them a card that says “read the blog” when people ask me how I’m doing… That’s a thought…
Waiting rooms
We are going to write a how-to guide for waiting rooms, some day. The first tip will be to avoid trying to diagnose the people sitting around you. We are waiting to head into our consultation. More updates later!
Spring-loaded skull.
We are out of the hospital, and have a date for surgery. September 24th.
Dr. David was very helpful, and answered all of our questions.
The surgery is a newer, less invasive surgery where they will reopen the suture and put some springs in there to hold it open. That will allow the head to grow and to form correctly. Then, four months or so later they will go back in and take out the springs.
The surgery generally means an overnight stay, and home the next day.
We had a much less emotionally taxing time than we thought we would, as it just pretty much was talking through two different surgical options and making the decision.
Other interesting things we learned:
- you have to pay to park at the hospital, which feels conspicuously like double-dipping, since (to say the least) we are already paying these people.
- if we were to give blood to be used for little Benjamin (in case of emergency), and then ended up not using it, they would charge us $250. I asked if I slit my wrist in the office it would also cost me 250 bucks. It’s my blood.