Trust to Hope

    Picking up the breathless, pulseless newborn from his incubator in the pediatric ward where I had been assigned, I ran to the emergency bay, where our team started resuscitation efforts.  After minutes of CPR and prayer, the baby started gasping, his heart rate returning at the same time as his skin color shifted from blueish to pink. Throughout the day in the pediatric ICU, the baby had low blood sugars but kept breathing on his own. I went home wondering if he might pull through.

    So many critical patient situations like this end with a crossing into eternity that one becomes accustomed to working hard for a patient's recovery but not getting one's hopes up for their survival.  It sounds rather dismal, but for me, at least, it helps me to continue nursing. 

    Yet, that evening, a part of me strongly hoped that maybe the little one's health would improve despite his current state.  I prayed that evening for him and decided to go pray with his family the next morning, wondering how God would answer.  Well, the scene that greeted me in the pediatric ICU the next morning was a baby boy with low oxygen levels, a dropping heart rate, and a nurse's aid looking concerned.  My hope-filled visit to pray turned into a trip to get one of the chaplains so we could explain to the family the baby's situation and likely imminent passing away. 

    That and other similar recent scenarios remind me of the scene in Lord of the Rings, when Eomer tells Aragorn in reference to finding his hobbit friends, "do not trust to hope, it is forsaken in these lands."

    Does you heart kick back at these words? Does it say, "NO!!!! Don't give up hope!"?  Well, it should! But why?  Why do you keep hoping when the baby you were rooting for still dies or the friend you have longed to see come to faith seems no closer to following Jesus, or the same sin in your heart reveals its blatant ugliness again?

Because,

    "without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him. - Hebrews 11:6

and, 

    "If we are faithless, He remains faithful- for He cannot deny himself." - 2 Timothy 2:13

    When, regardless of the outcome, God's adopted daughter chooses to trust Him in a way that leads her to follow what He says, this pleases Him.  When He helps her to keep looking for answered prayer and asking for Him to work, it makes Him smile.  She gets to experience a deeper relationship with Him by depending on Him, and He gets to amaze her with His undeniable faithfulness.

Each day a preemie as little as this one stays alive is another reason to trust to hope. Pray for these tiny ones, their families, and the maternity and the rest of the medical team, that each one would be protected and be able to thrive.

 

    Then, when a baby born at 26 to 28 weeks is still alive over a month later, blinking up at her, or when a Friday afternoon is filled with a sweet time of Bible study with friends, or news from Nouroudine the heart kiddo in the US is filled with hope for upcoming surgery, one can just smile.  These answers to prayer are sprinkles on the cupcake, simple evidences of a Father's constant goodness.  The real treasure is the relationship with Him born through faith and tested by opportunities to trust to hope.    

Answer to prayer! Last week's Bible study with this little one's mom and my friend P in the book of Proverbs was so encouraging, with each person participating. Please pray for Spirit-guided times together and that this little one would be calm each time we meet for a focused study together.

                                                  

We are looking to have more set surgery plans in the coming week, but it looks like heart surgery to close the hole in between his ventricles, then more surgeries to remove the kidney stones are on the horizon. Pray for this cool kid's endurance, and for his family as it will be months before they get to see him in person!

These happy friends will hopefully be bleached, dyed, and hidden this weekend for the kids Bible club on Saturday. Please pray for God's Word to be heard clearly by the kids, who mostly come from Catholic families.

    This weekend we celebrated Easter, which comes in the middle of Ramadan, where Muslim friends around us fast during the day, feast at night, and seek to please and draw near to God.  Will you please pray with me for continued opportunities to share the pardon we have in Jesus and the faith He gives us to become His true children? Other praises and prayer requests are below. Thank you for praying with me! Please write any time, I'd love to hear from you!

Praise God for a loving host family for Nouroudine, who is willing to keep and love on him for the months of his surgical process

Do you recognize this kid? Well, he is the malnourished baby you were praying for from the last update. His family brought him in for a rendez-vous and he had once again gained more than sufficient weight each day on average! He was smiling and interactive! Praise God! Keep praying for his family and his protection. Another evidence of God's faithfulness and an encouragement to trust to hope.

                                                                      

Because He is Faithful,

Theresa