The theme for today is: You Can Have Peace Amid Suffering

Today’s inspiration comes from ‘Breath as Prayer’ by Jennifer Tucker.

Breathe Deep and Know
Suffering is part of life, but we can have courage and peace to walk through that suffering as we trust in the One who has already given us ultimate victory.

Sometimes we get this idea that if only we had more faith or if we just prayed enough or in the right way, all our suffering would go away, our sickness would be healed, and we wouldn’t struggle anymore. But God never promised this.

In fact, Jesus said that we will have suffering; we will have trouble. What He promises isn’t freedom from suffering but His presence and peace in the midst of it. We can have ultimate peace because He has already ultimately conquered the world.

The reality is that we may not experience full healing this side of eternity, but we can still have peace that comes only from putting our full trust in Him, knowing that He is writing a good story that is bigger than our current struggles, that He has woven His breath through every moment of our lives, that He is with us and loves us no matter what worries or anxieties may fill our minds.

He is a good, good Father. He is with us in our ache, and He wraps our worries in His abiding love.

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Inhale: I have peace in You;
Exhale: You have conquered the world!

Today’s Updates:

The last few days have been ok for Zach. He threw up again on Monday, and the care team isn’t sure what’s causing his nausea. He is still receiving anti-nausea medications and a slower rate of feeds for his meals, and the care team is checking regularly if he is tolerating his feeds. Please pray that Zach will be able to keep down his feeds and get the nutrition that he needs.

Since Zach is receiving feeds at a slower rate, each meal takes a longer time to finish, which means he has not been able to go around in his wheelchair as much or do as many OT and physio activities. He has been doing well in physio and OT. Right now, they are focusing on maintaining and increasing Zach’s range of motion in both arms and his left wrist and hand. Please pray that Zach’s physiotherapy and OT will continue to go well so that his body may continue to recover and he may regain more functionality and strength in his limbs and hand.

Zach’s communication has sometimes been inconsistent over the past few days, but in his session with speech language pathology (SLP) today, he answered all the questions correctly and consistently using his “yes” and “no” buttons that were on loan from SLP. Please pray that Zach’s communication will continue to improve. SLP wants to focus on getting Zach to vocalize and try to mouth words in the coming weeks. Please pray that these efforts will be rewarded and that Zach will be able to speak with us again one day.

Zach has now been waitlisted for the neuro rehab ward in Foothills. Praise God that Zach could reach this point in his healing! Please pray that a spot will open up for Zach in Foothills soon and that the neuro rehab program will be beneficial for Zach’s recovery. Please pray that Zach will feel God’s nearness and lean on his strength at all times. Thank you for your continued prayers and support.

“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
(Romans 8:31-39)