Five years ago we brought our 9 year old to the hospital for open heart surgery. We knew that he had 2 holes in his heart that needed to be repaired, but found out during the surgery that he also had his pulmonary veins in the "wrong" place, and that needed to be repaired as well. As I look back at this time, I see God's hand in place during the entire process. We were hoping that a heart cath could repair his heart. That changed when they found he actually had 2 holes and not just one. Had we done a heart cath, we would not have known about the problems with his pulmonary veins. At the time we were so disappointed that he needed the open heart surgery, now we are thankful that this was necessary.
I am so thankful for the advances in medicine that make these surgeries possible. We were told that without the surgery, our son would not live to be older than his mid 20's, and the latter years of his life he would not be able to do much activity without serious strain on his heart and lungs. His heart was already enlarged due to the strain of compensating for all the problems he had. He will now be able to live out his life to the fullest, without worry about his heart! What a blessing!
As I look at him now, I see a 14 year old boy quickly turning into a young man (much too fast for this mamma!). He is always willing to help others, and is not afraid of hard work. He is very creative, and loves to find ways to fix things. He wants to work in construction and has a desire to re~start the construction business his grandpa started. He loves to be outside and will find any reason to get out of doing math! He is very soft and kind to his younger siblings, and they all look up to him. He is also our prankster with a great sense of humor! We are proud of the young man he has become and look forward to seeing where the Lord places him as he grows. And we are so thankful that, Lord willing, we will watch him grow to become a man after God's heart.
Blessings,
What a wonderful testimony to the goodness of the Lord, Jess! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHope you have a blessing-filled week, my friend. :)
Wow, that is totally a God thing, isn't it? How blessed you are to have him still with you and healthy.
ReplyDeleteBoth my dad and brother had open heart surgeries (my dad had it done twice 20 years apart) and so I know that it's not an easy thing. I can't imagine watching my 9 year old go through it!
I'm so glad that he is healthy and able to be active and enjoy life. What a living testimony He is to God's grace!
Also wanted to remind you that the "Making Your Home Sing Monday" linky party is up and ready for you to link up your posts this week.