“Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come.
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Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far and grace will lead me home.”

The situation we were facing was serious.  We would find that out over the next few days.  Having just returned from a vacation in Panama City, Florida, Lisa began complaining of leg pain and before long was unable to walk. I remember carrying her into her mom and dad’s house at one point and soon we were in the hospital emergency room. Being several months pregnant with Heather, our second child, the doctor informed us that the blood clot that had formed in her leg was probably the result of sitting for long periods of time in the car while traveling to Florida. He then said something I will never forget. It was also the number one cause of death in pregnant women.

The remaining portion of her pregnancy was a nightmare. She was placed on blood thinners and forced to stop working. She lost weight and would experience sudden fainting spells. The delivery was difficult and her c-section and recovery were complicated by the thin blood and resulted in a late night ambulance trip back to the hospital and more surgery. She remained in the hospital for several weeks and I remember one night in particular that I actually thought I would lose her. It was the scariest episode of our marriage

Lisa would make a complete recovery and Heather was a robust, eating machine that grew into a beautiful young lady. God’s grace saw us through.

Now we face another serious test of our faith as Lisa prepares for breast cancer surgery this Friday (June 26). We have no way of knowing the outcome of things. We are scared. All we have to go on are the things in the rear view mirror of our lives. The past events in which God saw us through by His grace and mercy are all we have. Tomorrow and the events to come are in the hands of a sovereign God who, I believe, controls all things. Based on the past – we can have great hope in the future.  We are living in between the lines of one of the verses of “Amazing Grace”, the most famous hymn ever written.  We know that God has brought us safe this far in our lives and because of that – we have confidence that He will continue.  I heard a quote this week from a famous Christian missionary who said, “Tomorrow is none of our business.”  I agree and accept that only an eternal God has rights to the future. We do not.  All we have is the rear view mirror that tells the story of what God has done “thus far”.  A loving God stands waiting for us in all the tomorrows of our lives.

Lisa and I will be residing this week and the weeks to come in between those two lines. There in the white spaces we find confidence in a God who has never failed – to lead us home.

Thanks for your continued prayers. Love, Steve and Lisa.