The theme for today is: Haste.

Meds. Zach is on strong meds. He’s on a lot of meds. A long list of meds. A medical journal of its own.

I couldn’t help but compare all his medication changes throughout his hospital stay to the “knee bone connected to the thigh bone” song. This med is connected to that med which you need to make this med work and that med is connected to those meds which you need to make these meds work and those meds are connected to some other meds in order to make those meds work with these meds so that med can work with this med and this med can work with that med so those meds can work with these meds and these meds can work with those meds. A mind mesmerizing medical maze!

A maze that doesn’t seem to end. A maze with no entrance and no exit. Stuck. Going around in circles. Once you’re in, you ain’t getting out.

But we want out! Zach wants out! Hurry up and let us out! Is it OK to ask God to hurry up? David says it is.

Psalm 70. Hurry up, God! Make haste (vs 1), make haste (vs 1), hasten to me (vs 4), do not delay (vs 4). Hurry. Hurry. Hurry. Hurry.

David is afraid, hurt, poor, and needy. Bad times call for bold measures. Bad times call for bold prayers. Asking God to hurry up. That takes guts. That takes faith.

Bold prayers are earnest. Bold prayers are honest. Bold prayers are OK. Come quickly (Psalm 22), make haste (Psalm 38), make haste (Psalm 40), do not delay (Psalm 40), make haste (Psalm 71), hasten to me (Psalm 141).

Bold prayers. We’ll pray for God to make haste. Real prayers. We’ll also remember that God’s timing is perfect. In our eyes, He makes haste slowly. In His eyes, He delights to work his timing through the means of our prayers for haste. Haste in His time. Not our time. We can trust that God will work out all things, God will make haste, for his glory in his good time.

And so our earnest and honest prayer, and Zach’s earnest and honest prayer, is: Dear God. Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Today’s Updates:

Zach had some more infection tests done a couple days ago that have now come back positive for a bacteria. They’re still waiting to find the results on exactly which bacteria it is, and once they find that out they’ll be able to tell if this is a new infection in his blood or if it’s a contaminated sample. They’ve started Zach on a couple more strong antibiotics just in case he does have another blood infection.

They adjusted his sedation and pain medications and he responded well. The treatment for serotonin syndrome (a bad drug reaction) that they started yesterday has been effective as well. We’re glad they’re able to treat one of the causes of his restlessness. Zach’s level of awareness is unchanged. Please continue to pray for a full recovery for Zach’s brain, knowing that we can make bold requests of our God, the Great Physician.

Zach has been on the same ventilator settings for a few days now. When they try to adjust the ventilator, Zach starts breathing faster. They did a CT of his chest today and his lungs look largely unchanged. His chest tubes are no longer draining any fluid, but they will keep the tubes in until Zach is off the ventilator. We are thankful there are no new problems with his lungs, and we pray for patience as Zach continues his long course of treatment and recovery.

“Make haste, O God, to deliver me! O Lord, make haste to help me!

Let them be put to shame and confusion who seek my life! Let them be turned back and brought to dishonour who delight in my hurt!

Let them turn back because of their shame who say, “Aha, Aha!”

May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you! May those who love your salvation say evermore, “God is great!”

But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay!”

(Psalm 70)