I received a ton of emails and calls from friends in the past few days. Please forgive us for not responding if you have not yet heard from Sherry or me. It has been a busy week to say the least and it is not all the way over. Caden has required some close monitoring due to some cold like symptoms. We suspect this is where the 104 degree fever came from Friday morning. Caden has been on a pretty broad antibiotic since Friday, but has not yet completely shaken the congestion. I am writing this email as I take my shift to monitor Caden to make sure he does not require any suctioning. I will pass the torch to Sherry in a few hours. Anyway, that is enough of excuses for not responding to you all.
Our friends Brian and Elisa have been an awesome blessing to our family this past week. Riley spent two days with them and loved it. Several of my buddies and Sherry’s friends have called and/or emailed to offer whatever help we need. Pastor Phil’s wife Sherry has continued to remind us that she and the staff of Seacoast Summerville are there to help us in any way we need. Our next door neighbor Tom cut our grass this past week. Our friend Rich met us and walked in from the parking lot with us back on Wednesday morning as he came to visit his dad for the 79th day straight. His dad has been in the ICU since a surgery three month ago. Rich is an elder at Seacoast and he and his wife coordinate the GFI parenting ministry for all of Seacoast. Rich took time to pray with us before we checked Caden into surgery last Wednesday. Our friend Rusty who is a doctor at MUSC stopped by to reassure us that we were in his prayers. He has followed Caden’s progress this past week and emailed us several times with ongoing encouragement. My friend Trace has keep close tabs on us too. Trace is a lunch buddy and a fellow super geek. The prayer warriors from the Seacoast healing prayer team and many others from around the country have been on their knees for us since long before our arrival at the hospital. I have received several emails from folks reminding us that they are actively praying for Caden and our family. I am most thankful for the earnest prayer support for our family from all.
Our friend Zoe has been in constant contact with us since before the surgery making sure our needs were met. Zoe is a fellow member of a small group study on healing prayer that Sherry and I have been participating in for about six months now.
The efforts of Zoe, Rich, the Gollatz family, and my friend Trace are all great examples how the small group philosophy at Seacoast Church is supposed to work. We have been in parenting classes or small groups studies with all of these folks. They have all stood at our side along with family and many other friends when times have been tough.
Thank you all so much for praying for Caden, our family, and the others I have asked you to pray for this past week. I knew as I cried out for someone to call the doctor last Wednesday in the recovery room that, “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7. I also knew that there were many praying for us at that very moment. It is so comforting to know that others are standing in the gap for you when the enemy strikes.
I elaborated on how much our support system has meant to us in a post over on The Land of Ozz.