Sitting Up

     Today they performed a bronchoscopy on Kari to check her lungs and suction out what the normal suction procedure could not.  They removed lots of fluid, and though Kari still has problems with coughing, we hope this helps relieve her somewhat.  It’s hard to watch suction because it gags her again and again and takes her breath away.  Also, she had a fever on and off all day, though its high was 100.4, a degree lower than it was a couple of days ago.  On the other hand, when Shona was doing some range of motion work with Kari this morning she reported that she’s gained more motion in her arms, especially the right arm.  She can now turn her forearm both inward and outward.  And today they sat her in a chair for about a half hour.  Linda said that she really enjoyed it and looked happy and cute.  The sitting up should also improve her breathing and help with fluid buildup.

     There were more visitors today, especially from St. Charles, but it was hard to see Sarah leave, and today Aaron looked very tired.  Pray that he will take better care of himself and allow himself time away to get some rest.  Tomorrow the Morris’ leave for a while, and that’s bound to be very hard on Kari.

     I returned to Naperville this morning on an early Frontier flight.  This evening, as I was leaving my office at about 6:15 p.m. two former students shouted at me from across the parking lot.  Byron and Dave had been very spiritual, and were now both in ministry.  In 15 years I had seen only Byron once when he preached at our church.  When they asked what was going on I of course told them about Kari and Aaron.  After listening to details for a while, Dave said, “Has anyone received any word from Lord about what He is going to do.”  “Well, yes,” I said, and told him a vision that came to me just hours after the accident.  I saw a certain level of healing in a certain time period, and it was so clear and precise and has remained so strong that I have often taken it as a kind of promise from the Lord.  Before tonight I have told only one person (my wife) the details, and will not go into them here.  Perhaps, when or if I ever share this with Kari, I may, but the time has not come yet.  “I asked for a specific reason,” Dave said.  “Because you answered immediately and with absolute certainly, that lets me know that there may be other, bigger visions happening out there throughout the Body of Christ.”  I’ve thought about this a lot, and it seems clear that Dave is probably right.  My gifts at prayer, faith, and spiritual vision aren’t very great, and there are surely hundreds out there whose gifts here are much greater.  I ask you to pray with the greater vision and faith God has given you.  You don’t necessarily need to reveal the vision God has given you.  Some things may be best kept to yourself for now, just as Mary knew truths about who Jesus was but started by just “pondering them in her heart.”  Byron said, “Just talking to you now I get the strongest feeling that she’s going to be all right, and more healing is going to happen sooner than you think.  Even medically speaking, you know we’re built with backup systems we don’t understand yet.  If something goes wrong God created the body to go around the damage.”  We held hands and prayed right there in the middle of the parking lot, a few cars going slowly around us.  Dave prayed: “Let Kari and this family feel the joy and intimacy of the Lord.”  I said, “In times like these, that’s about all we have.”  “Dr. Guzman,” Dave said, “that’s all we ever really have.  Incidents like these just lift the veil so we can see that truth.”   I have taken great heart from all this, and I hope you will as well.

 

--Richard R. Guzman