Sunday, August 26, 2012

It is Well with my Soul

Update:

Selah's fevers are continuing. Nothing seems to be helping. With meds they will go down but she can't keep them down. She has MRSA and her white blood counts are up. She has "something" on her arm, probably a blood clot and the redness is growing....she needs prayer now physically as well as neurologically!

Sitting here listening to the group SELAH "Greatest Hymns". they sing several songs on there that just speaks to my heart. One of them is "It Is Well With My Soul". The writer of that song lost his children in a shipwreck in the Atlantic Ocean. The ship and most on board were lost. His wife was rescued but not his daughters. On his way over to Europe to meet up with his wife, his ship's captain told him when they were at the place where his family's ship went down...He wrote that song based on that experience.


When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain:
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.


My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!


For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.


But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!


And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.


Sources: •Faith Publishing House, Echoes from Heaven, 1976 (168)
•Anonymous/Unknown, The Blue Book (199)

The last verse means alot to me....this situation turns my heart toward eternity even more. I understand that father's anguish as he penned those words... Before all of this happened, a few weeks ago I dreamed about the rapture. In my dream I was holding Sarah and saw the "the sky roll back like a scroll" it was an amazing dream. I'm looking forward to that day!

Across from the hospital is a very large cemetery. We've often wanted to walk through it, but haven't got the chance to. It's a reminder as a patient. a visitor, or staff comes out of the hospital, they face the cemetery...I've found it funny over the years in my sarcastic way. Now I look at it and think "death where is your sting" when this life is over, our heartache is ended...what a comfort. (don't' worry I'm not suicidal at all I just find it a comfort that one day life's trials will all be over) I think the old hymn writers spoke of heaven so often because of life's trials and tears on this earth.

Last night sitting in Selah's room, I read over my blog, since so many who don't' know me are reading it & it makes me wonder (and worry) about what all I have written :) But I loved reading the adoption posts and the posts since we've been home. I am still a blessed mom with the best kids in the world. I've experienced heartbreak but the joy does win out. I needed that reminder to myself.

So despite it all, I can still say "it is well with my soul" "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed"

Please keep praying for Selah, I still have hope that there will be a change neurologically....but it is so hard. Pray for our family, there is just this huge empty space without her, we miss her being with us so much. I am so thankful I never took a day for granted with her, the girls were so new to us, that every day seemed like Christmas to me when they got up:) It was just fun! I want that again, I want all of my kids home and healthy. I want to have to rush to cook them breakfast...and get them dressed...it's a honor to be their mom. This summer has been incredibly sweet, getting to know our two princesses! I want to go back to that.

Don't take your family for granted, no one is promised tomorrow. Hug you kids tight, be thankful for everyday annoyances and work. I wish our only problem was getting the laundry done...



21 comments:

  1. thanks for the update. that is a beautiful song and I love to listen to it when I have a bad day or have a tough situation going on in life.

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  2. I continue to pray for all of you, many times per day. I am especially focusing on some miracles for Selah, for healing her MRSA and for her neuro functions. God bless all of you.

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  3. Dear Yvonne, I was remembering you at church this morning, and praying. I'm praying still, and looking up to Jesus. I know He is with you.

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  4. Yvonne, I've been sharing your updates on FB and many of my friends are praying for you, Selah and your family. Anyway, tonight my aunt posted this to you on FB: Your post is most encouraging to me and even though I have problems, nothing compares to what you are facing at the moment. I do want to share with you that 22 years ago last February, my daughter lay on her death bed with no human hope of recovery. She was holding my first Grandchild within her womb. She lay in that state for 15 days... I had no faith to see her raised and I cried out to the Lord to have mercy because of my lack of faith. Everybody that I knew was praying for her. She had the best doctors in Washington and they simply told me there was no hope that she would live. When she came out of her coma, she was totally brain damaged. She drooled and had little control of her hands. It took 6 people to hold her down when the did her brain scan. She was totally an imbecile. I left the hospital, hopeless and crushed, feeling as if God had forsaken me. She was alive but according to the doctors she would never progress to even tie her shoes. I had just gotten to the adjacent room, lay down and told the Lord I could not go back into that hospital. The phone rang. It was my husband telling me that my daughter was asking for me. I ran. When I got to her bedside, I looked into my daughter's sweet face. She simply said, "Hi, Mom". She was completely normal and healed. She astounded everyone at the hospital. They rescanned her brain, with me standing beside the gurney. The technician said she had never see anything like it. The first scan showed a horribly scrambled brain, the second one, completely normal. The baby was born 3 months later, normal. That day I watched God roll away my Red Sea ... I watched Him raise my dead daughter and yes, I can testify... He lives! He hears the cry of the broken hearted. God is mighty!


    Anyway, I know all testimonies are different and I don't know if my aunt's is an encouragement to you at all, but I have remembered what God did for my cousin in the last week and a half as I've prayed for Selah. We know what He is capable of and our praying for a miracle for you, too.

    Blessings,
    Ileata Lundmark
    a friend from RR

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  5. Nothing much to say except God Bless you and your family. You have a wonderful strength and I can feel the change in your heart through your words that you have found a peace within this situation. We know it is in "his". Praying for you, Emily

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  6. Yvonne, our family has been praying for yours since the accident and we will continue to do so. Hugs from the blind community in WA, too. Donna

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  7. God bless you and your family. I have been reading for several days and praying for all of you. Very often, I find myself in difficult situations in life and songs of praise that I have sang throughout my life just seem to come to mind and comfort me. Sometimes I cry as I sing or hum them but still, the words comfort me. One of my favorites is "Thou who rulest wind and water, stand by me." Tonight my prayer is that HE continues to stand by your family, especially Selah.

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  8. Yvonne, you are an incredible woman who says just what you are going through in such a way to grip the heart of the person reading....The Lord is all over you and your writing....Don't worry about what you did or did not write...I whine a lot with all the aches and pains I have to endure, and at the end of the day, I realize that the Lord gives me the grace for the moment and not a moment longer that I need it....Paul was such an amazing man and even when the Lord didn't heal him, He told Paul that His grace was sufficient for that time. How awesome is our Lord, who walks us through every moment with His grace.....
    I will pray fervently for Selah an your whole family, who bring glory to the Lord through this season of your lives.
    Love from NC

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  9. My name is jonathan and I heard about what happened because it was lifted up inrayer in our church. I know prayer works bc the drs sd I would never live n if I did I would never wake after a bad wreck a few years back. I dont know wht God gave me a 2ndchance at life but all glorey goes to Him and it has been proven to me that He is in control n can do the impossible n now I pray He does the same for you and your family n yall will be in our churches n my prayer. If u get bored n want to read my miricle storey it can be found at www.jonathansupdates.blogspot.com if u do read it I hope it increases ur faith.

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  10. Beautiful family! God is with you, my Sister. Lean on Him and He will take you all through this. We are still praying desprately for Selah. That she be completely restored and returned to you healthy. Trust in Him.
    Love to you,
    Sheri
    GospeLines Prayer Warrior

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  11. thank you for sharing that beautiful story of faith and dependence on God's love and mercy.

    i will pray for Selah and her family and forward this to others.

    charles

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  12. My heart is with you, each of you, and my prayers.
    I am interceded and believing Selah will come
    out of this, fever normal, and the Lord as you said
    like with the three Hebrew children, she will come
    out, and O Lord, we agree, and stand upon the Word of God.
    Thank you Lord for your miracles, even now ministering to
    Selah's needs. And Sarah, Lord, we know the best as the
    family and Dr.(s) thinks, to not do the surgery. We know
    there is nothing too difficult for thee. Absolutely nothing.

    Lord, we do not understand the trials, and the heartaches.
    With such love O Lord, this precious family has for their
    children, we know the enemy will "try" but with Jesus
    there is a Joy about these children, of love, that goes deep
    and we are believing, yes, Greater is He that is in them,
    than he (any devil) that is in the world. I John 4:4.

    I speak life life life in Jesus name to each child, and to these
    precious parents. Lord, Psalm 118:17.. They shall live, and
    not die, they shall tell of the mighty works of the Lord in their
    lives, the miracles.

    Lord, thank you for no complications with the g-tube,
    and the trach, as you direct the doctors (as you o Lord
    are the Great Physician). We are thanking you in advance
    for your peace upon Sarah, and Selah, and each of the children,
    and these precious parents, the Conlans.

    Lord, we are lifting their arms/hands that hang weary right now
    from exhaustion, and concern, and Lord, you are their Provider,
    their Jehovah Jireh.

    Lord, we ask this in your name, Jesus name. Amen.

    Love in Christ,
    Martha Smith

    Each day I will be praying, and believing
    with you.

    I was a hospital chaplain for several years until I was diagnosed
    with rheumatoid arthritis, and then I was a children's counselor
    with children in trauma, and in bereavement over the loss of
    a loved one, or abused children. I was a teacher in the beginning.
    I graduated from seminary, and was excited and thrilled at serving
    people who were hurting, sick, and needing the love and touch
    of the Lord. Now I am home, can not work had two cancers
    (doing better, thank God) and atrial fibs, and other things wrong.

    But I know thank the Lord I can pray, I can intercede,
    and I do not need a title, or anything, the Lord is my strength.

    So it is my honor, and privilege to be just one of the many
    holding you all up in prayer. I believe in miracles, and I know
    as the song says, God did not bring you all this far, to
    leave you. He is there, working Psalm 138:8.

    Martha Smith

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  13. This is such a touching message. Our prayers continue for your sweet daughter and family.

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  14. Thank you for this update. I sure am praying for this little girl and will continue.
    Will also share this info. Praying, believing for her healing.
    Marcy Bailey

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  15. Have been praying, speaking LIFE into this situation!!
    Mary S

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  16. I love your blog and that you are able to post updates and share your feelings. You don't know me, but I have been praying for Selah and touch her sweet face through my computer screen, asking for God to heal this child, and for His will to be done. I pray for you and your husband. I just can't imagine. When I had a miscarriage last winter (which I am not comparing at ALL to your situation) God gave me a song, much like the song It is Well (which I love too!) It's called Blessings by Laura Story. There is a verse that struck me that I wanted to share with you:

    "What if my greatest disappointments, or the aching of this life, is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy"

    That verse just hit me; how God uses life situations and trials to draw us to Him. I remember thinking after my miscarriage, "I don't need anymore trials though..." Sigh. I can completely understand your thirst for that day when there is no more pain.

    Be strong Yvonne. You and Selah and your family are covered in many prayers and much love. And thank you for sharing all you do.

    ~Kimberly

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  17. Praying for you tonight, Yvonne. You have a precious heart of love for your children. Praying for you as you grieve and as you trust.

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  18. You are in my prayers as you travel this most diffiucult journey. Thank you for sharing your pain, and for sharing your peace, too, as you are an inspiration for so many of us. Please know that you and your family are in my prayers. I am praying for Selah's recovery. May God bless her with a miracle.

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  19. You & your family are so precious! I continue to keep you in my prayers.

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  20. You are so strong in your faith--and I know that God and Selah *know* this.

    Keep hanging in there mama. xoxo

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  21. Keeping you and Selah and your whole family in my thoughts and prayers. My heart aches for you. And i cry along with you every time i read your words.
    Hugs and prayers!!

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