God is Beautiful

Today was truly an adventurous one, but one that God's light truly shined in on us.

After pumping, James called the nicu for an update. With God's amazing grace Asher's oxygen was still at a good level, but they did have to go up on his pressure some. It made us smile though knowing they were increasing his food intake to 6 ccs. Again, we know God is holding his precious hand and never letting go. We trust in God's timing for Asher to get off the machine. We ask for you to join us in praying for that day to come soon and in God's perfect timing.

James and I planned on visiting our little miracle later in the afternoon as his parents and sister were meeting us at the hospital to see little Asher. So James and Easton played outside while Mom helped me shower. That is when our adventure began.

I was just about done showering, when James ran in the house and asked if I was almost st done. Mom said I was just finishing, and then James told us water was flooding the garage. Ok, not a huge flood, but enough to make a mess. It made me think back to earlier in the morning when I kept hearing strange noises as James was showering. James concluded we had a plumbing backup.

As James drove to Home Depot to rent a snake machine to use to clear the backup, we were stuck with no water, except for the blessing of bottled water. That wasn't a huge deal as bottled water was helpful in many ways, but we couldn't flush the toilet. I say toilet, because James had took the hall bathroom toilet out so the room was ready for the machine.

When James returned, he was sweating and trying everything to lift up the 200 pound machine over our porch step. It was a struggle and ended up chipping some brick. Yes, that wasn't something we wanted, but there are more important things in life to worry about. James wheeled the machine over to the bathroom, as Easton watched full of curiosity. I sat and watched from the couch, and it took longer than I thought, so my eyes closed and I took a nap as exhaustion hit. I woke up an hour later to the sound of James' frustration. There he was full of sweat and exhaustion still trying to get it to work. He spent a couple hours trying to get the snake through the pipe, but it was unsuccessful. It broke my heart to see him working so hard, as that is the man he is, but not getting anywhere. So James decided to go under the house in the crawl space with the machine to see if it would do the trick.

It bothered me so much because he was already multitasking and being an amazing husband and dad, and here he was facing  a dilemma where we all depended on him for water. As he entered the crawl space, the clock struck the most powerful hour of prayer, 3 pm. I got my Rosary and clinged to it tightly and began praying for Asher. When I came to the second decade, I prayed for James. I held my Rosary tight and asked God to please guide James to the answer to the problem and how to fix it. I told him he works so hard and only wants to see his miracle son. I asked God to please let the answer be found so he could see Asher today with his parents and sister along with my mom and me. As I ended the decade and began to the next praying for all the nicu babies and Asher, James came into the front door full of relief and joy as he figured out the problem and fixed it. I couldn't stop praising God as I held even tighter to my Rosary. I told James I just had prayed that God would help him so he could see Asher. I told him God is right with him and to praise Him as God listens and the Rosary is so powerful. He said he just happened to see how the pipes led outside to our front landscaping and so it led him there. Immediately he noticed the issue, the roots of our Japanese Maple were blocking our line. Yes, James spent hours in the bathroom with no success, but God guided him and answered my prayer. He is a glorious God!

James was to have the machine back by 4, so he asked our kind neighbor Wayne to help him load it and then rushed to Home Depot as it was almost 4. As he was gone, we were grateful for the water to be turned back on.

A few minutes later, my phone rang. I answered and I heard, "You aren't going to believe this." James tone sounded grateful, so that relieved me. He then told me how the guy who rented the machine to him asked him why he had a hospital bracelet on. James then summed up the story. James then left with the machine. When he returned it, the same guy was there but James was 10 minutes late. He already owed $70, but would be charged $100 if late. So James apologized to the man and told him how he just got done. The man told him well let's look it over and talk. He then told James," this is the least of your worries right now, you don't owe anything." James said he just wanted to cry. As he told me this, tears formed in my eyes. I told James it was God. He heard my prayer and he sent you an angel. I couldn't get over how truly miraculous God truly is! It was another reminder and God Moment to let me know He hears all my prayers and was right with Asher protecting and letting his miraculous works shine through him.

After our adventure, James hurried and got ready and we made it to the nicu in time to meet his parents and sister and see our miracle son. Again I lifted praise up to God for letting James see his son. Mom and I saw Asher first. He was getting a new tube in his throat due to x-ray showing it needed to be readjusted. It was so neat to see him so close as they were lifting his precious head. Mom loved seeing her miracle grandson. Then James took his family in one at a time. It was his sister's first time seeing him and she couldn't get over just how small he was. After they visited, James and I went back in to see him and give him our love and said our gnites. I touched his soft and tiny feet as I told him how much I loved him, how I was fighting for him, and how God was right with him holding his tiny, but strong hand. Then James put his special daddy hands on him and talked to him. Again it was so hard to leave. We just wanted to stay and place our hands on him all day and talk to him all day. But that poem kicked in my mind, and reminded myself he is never alone. God is with him always along with Josh and all the Angels and Saints. Before we left, we signed a permission form for them to put a special catheter in tomorrow. A nurse earlier this week told us about it, so we knew it was important. We then walked out, only wishing we could just take him home with us.

Before I left, I walked over to the prayer request book and wrote a special prayer for my miracle boy. I also added in a special prayer, that I pray all of you add to your prayers for tomorrow too. Asher will have a brain scan tomorrow to be sure no bleeding in brain. It is a routine for premies this young, so even though scary, we knew it had to be done. So if you can join us and Asher in prayer for a successful brain scan tomorrow morning. I know God will be with Him. Where more are in prayer, God is truly there. So let's hold our hands tight in prayer for our little warrior tomorrow. Also if you can continue to join us in prayer that soon in God's perfect timing he will be off the machine. Your prayers are so powerful!

Dear Loving God, You are so beautiful in all Your ways. Thank You for letting your light shine today as You were there with James. Thank You for sending him an angel in the midst of it all. How amazing is Your unending love! Thank You for keeping Asher strong and never leaving his side. Thank You for our miracle. We wouldn't be here without You. I pray that You wrap Your healing hands around Asher tomorrow during his brain scan as You do each day. You are miraculous and our full trust is in You as You will lead us to Your most beautiful plan. We love You above all things! Amen.

Thank all of you for being strong and powerful prayer warriors. We couldn't be more blessed! Let us continue to unite in prayer with God, Josh, and all the Angels and Saints in this amazing fight for our miracle son! Asher is a strong warrior who smiles as he relaxes in your prayers and God's loving arms.