Peace

After I finished the "Mercy Triumphs" study book by Beth Moore a couple of months ago, I was without an active Bible Study or accountability and began drifting away from my regular time with God.  Funny how fast that happens, even without a decent excuse.  Life just slowly creeps into every crevice that we allow it to, until we have no peace.....

I was seriously becoming devoid of peace - not that it has been easy to sustain at any given time in life, but always correlates to periods when I have chosen or have been forced to rely on God moment by moment.  As we travel this path toward Shravani's Fontan surgery, I've experienced anxiety levels I didn't know existed.  And we are still almost 3 weeks out.

While cleaning out a box of books, I found an old Beth Moore study that I'd started at least 5-6 years ago and had thrown under the bed, unfinished.  Well, here it was - and as I looked through to find the first empty section, it found me like a slap in the face.  "Agape".  Also known as?  "Love".  Always at odds with our modern definition of love, agape "...always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails."  I Cor. 13:7-8.  Nothing like cold water splashed on the face of a lukewarm heart.  I'm surprised that I didn't find a nice drawer to 'store' that study book in.  But here it is on the coffee table where I meet with God almost every morning before Shrav wakes up.  I had to pray that God would help me wake up early to have time with Him - I just wasn't making it happen otherwise.  And He is faithful, and has been doing that.  Some mornings the words "GET UP" literally appear on the chalkboard of my mind.  I obey when that happens especially :).

Back to the subject of peace.  The work book has traveled through Agape, then Joy, and we just started the topic of Peace.  Here is the verse:  "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."  John 14: 27 -   Simple as that.

We took a tour today of the pediatric ICU and Pediatrics unit at the hospital where Shrav will have surgery in a few weeks.  Then, we went for a CT Scan so the surgeon will be able to tell how much, if any, scar tissue remains from earlier surgeries and how it might impact their ability to reach the things they need to get to.  Hopefully he has what he needs.   The recovery room nurse knows the surgeon and worked with him a long time, she says if she ever needed heart surgery or her children did, she would not even consider another surgeon.   We have heard this from multiple people in a very short time, and we have peace about all her doctors and the wonderful jobs that they do every day.

** For privacy reasons we are choosing not share names of doctors/etc or locations of things - this may change once everything is completed but for now it seems right to share that only by email as requested.  Don't hesitate to send a note if you have any questions!