A phase of life I never wanted to see

Last Friday morning my grandfather suffered a severe stroke.

Miracle after miracle occurred. From the time my grandmother found him and got me to the time he was in the Interventional Radiology suite was less than 2 hours. He had a complete (100%) occlusion of his right carotid artery that then went up and completely occluded his right Middle cerebral artery--if you don't know that means he had basically no blood flow to the right half of his brain. This resulted in a complete left sided paralysis, slurred speech, visual field defects, the whole shebang.

Another miracle occurred and immediately after they removed the clot his motor function to his left side returned. Over the next 3 days in the NeuroICU his motor function returned to almost equal with his right side, his speech improved and he no longer slurs his words, and he doesn't even smile with a droop. MIRACULOUS!

This is what I put on FB on Friday afternoon and it remains true now:
The Lord has worked miracle after miracle in the past 12 hours, too many to even put into words--my precious grandfather had a severe stroke last night and he is still with us! No matter what the road ahead looks like we face it with a keen knowledge that today has been a day of Ebenezer in our lives for "Till now The Lord has helped us" (1 Sam 7:12). "You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told" (Psalms 40:5)! Hallelujah, How He loves!

Unfortunately the stroke still took a toll on his body and seemed to make other conditions he had previously worsen. Though he is now home from the hospital he remains on oxygen and will be probably for the rest of his life--when he is not on oxygen he becomes so hypoxic that he quickly becomes confused. He is also facing many cardiac issues that were found while he was being monitored in the hospital.

My mom is now in town to be with my grandmother and grandfather, and I'm helping her as much as I can, while my dad is traveling back and forth to Columbia so that he can work but also provide support.

My grandfather means so much to me and through this all he has been the sweetest, humblest, most gracious of patients. He is constantly telling me how much he loves me and how proud he is of me and how good it is just to hang out with me. None of us are taking for granted a single minute together and it is SO sweet it hurts. I hate facing the season of life and yet every day there is blessing in it because I know that we love each other more deeply and sweetly because Christ is in us. I once was facing the death of a friend's mom who was a believer and I couldn't stop my sadness and ache. I asked my dad why I felt so sad because I knew she was in Heaven and rejoicing with Jesus and he gave me the most gracious and profound answer. He said that we, as believers almost mourn more because we have tasted the sweetness of glimpses of earthly fellowship as it was created to be and we long to have that person back to experience it again; when you haven't experienced something like that, it's hard to miss it and mourn it when it's gone.

So right now I feel this whirlwind of contrast: the sweetest time of fellowship ever with my grandfather and the knowledge that this will only be a season and not forever. The whirlwind of caring for someone and being emotional and trying to soak it all in is exhausting, but many prayers are supporting us right now and people have been awesome at loving us and caring for our physical needs with food, errands, flowers, texts, phone calls, etc.

"One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. (For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.)"  -Psalm 27: 4 (5)

"Oh Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in behind and before, and lay your hand on me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it." - Psalm 139: 1-6

"And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." - Philippians 1:6

"Nothing in my hand I bring, 

Simply to thy cross I cling; 

Naked, come to thee for dress; 

Helpless, look to thee for grace; 

Foul, I to the fountain fly; 

Wash me, Savior, or I die."

- Rock of Ages

Oh my dear Rock of ages, you are indeed a cleft for me!