Yesterday, I saw something that made my heart leap and my eyes mist up a little. It was the sight of both of our sons on a swing set at Cornwall Park here in Bellingham. They were laughing their heads off together and playing a game that involved yelling and then laughing at the same time.
Levi was his usual self, sprinting from one activity to the next on the playground. Max was a little more reserved, walking instead of running, but the point is, they were both out there having a lot of fun.
It's funny, now that Max is feeling better, I think Shannon and I are both realizing what we've been through. Having reached a point now that we're not needing adrenaline to function, the scope of the ups and downs over the last month are starting to sink in.
With the most threatening parts of Max's illness now behind us, there are a few things that I can say with clarity and confidence:
1. God is abundantly good, and His grace and mercy toward us are overwhelming.
2. The people that work at Seattle Children's Hospital are heroic champions that have earned my love, respect, and gratitude.
3. I've learned all over again what an amazing mother my wife is. I'm hopelessly in love with her as my wife, but I fell in love all over again with her as I observed her shifting into a higher gear that I've rarely seen - it's the "momma gear" that allows her to focus on nothing but her sick child regardless of stress, sleeplessness, hunger, or anything else. I am married to an amazing woman who is also an amazing mom.
4. I love my church. They have surrounded us, supported us, and loved us in a time of great stress. People have called, emailed, sent get-well cards, balloons and food. They drove to Seattle to see Max, they mowed our lawn, cleaned out house, washed and vacuumed our van, delivered dinners, and so much more. Christ the King Church, I am so glad that I am a part of this family!
5. The internet can be a great thing. To have people visit this blog from all over the world and daily check in on Max, a kid they might never meet - it's been overwhelming.
At any rate, we will keep you all posted on the happenings of this week, and we continue to ask for your prayers as see this thing through to the end.
Thanks,
Sam
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11 comments:
Just wanted to say how good it was to see you here at church.
You guys just about brought me to tears to see you here, together as a family.
God's blessings, we are still praying.
Derek and Anna
It's great to hear you are doing better Max. Welcome Home. What a wonderful weekend to get outside and play too. Yes, God is abundantly good.
We can't wait to see you all!
Dan, Heidi & Savannah
We are very happy to hear all is going well. Hopefully things will just continue to keep getting better. We are so blessed to have met you. Thank you for everything!
Love,
Taw, Stacey, Ali, Lexi, and Baby Drew
You say that you're thankful to have a church family like CTK but really, it's all of us at CTK who are blessed to call you part of our family. You've shared your family's most stressful, heart-wrenching moments with us, let us cry with you, pray for you. This has been a God-ordained journey for all of us, and I can't tell you how special it's been to see just a glimpse of how the real family of God hurts and heals with each other. I'm honored to know that we're all in this together.
Max's life shows so beautifully that God's faithful hand is obviously over all of this and under each of us.
Sarah (from Logos)
Oh, Sam and Shannon, thank you so much for sharing your blog with us and letting us peek into your hearts. And I love the last post about the boys playing at Cornwall Park! What an awesome God we serve. His ways are past finding out! Continued blessings, Nikki and the rest of the Andersons
God is so good and rich in mercy! I am thankful that you are now feeling even an ounce of normalcy, and that you have been able to grow as a family through this time of hardship. Best of luck with Max's blood tests today, I hope everything keeps looking up. I continue to pray for all of you! It was wonderful to see you all together on Sunday! And I thank God for his blessings on your family and I pray that miracles continue to happen! -Liz G. :-)
Shannon and Sam,
We are pleased to hear such good news. Our prayers are still with Max and all of you. God is so wonderful and always faithful.
Terri and Charles
Sam, I'm so happy to hear that Max is doing so well. Today's update was the best ever. I've never met Shannon, but the way you describe her.....well, she sounds like a wonderful parnter and mother.
Kids are so precious. I couldn't imagine the heartache and worry that you've experienced. It's wonderful that you have had so much support from your friends, family, strangers, and fellow church-members...to help you through these trying times!
Dave ( Utah ), from Ottawa Canada.
You had a solid group up here in Canada praying for you all. I was so glad when I got to start telling them that Max was getting better. And again, when he got to go home. God Bless!
Shannon and Sam:
Your prayers and this time of growing further into The Lord is so good to see. Having God in your daily lives and your family is wonderful and fulfilling. Your family sounds like it grew and grew more so in trusting God. We are very proud of you and your family. God Bless.
Sam and Juanita Cheyne
Awesome new brother. I haven't been posting but I've been following. I'm still praying for Max and his continued recovery.
I'm also glad that you've mentioned 'remembering'. That is so important in our walk of faith to look back on where the Lord has taken us and what He has taught us.
God is good!!!
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