A Rough Few Days

A Rough Few Days It’s been a rough few days for Dave. We rushed him to Cedars ER on Tuesday evening with a sudden high fever and extreme headache. Again. These trips to the hospital in the midst of uncertain circumstances have happened so often in the last several years, but they never become easy or commonplace. Each time is scary and filled with the dread of what could happen. Each time we are tempted to get sucked into a defeat filled with gloom and darkness. But each time God finds a way to bring hope into our hearts and a reminder that He is with us, bringing His unfailing love and strength. We are not alone. Dave recently gave me a new Kari Jobe CD for my car. As I was driving him to the hospital on Tuesday, the song I was listening to was “I Am Not Alone.” I played it over and over again. Here’s some of the words in that song: When I walk through deep waters I know that You will be with me When I’m standing in the fire I will not be overcome Through the valley of the shadow I will not fear I am not alone I am not alone You will go before me You will never leave me In the midst of deep sorrow I see Your light is breaking through The dark of night will not overtake me I am pressing into You Lord, You fight my every battle And I will not fear And picture this – this is true – as that song was playing in the car, I looked up and the sky was filled with dark and ominous clouds, with a small circle of light where the sun was peeking through in the distance. That’s what I was looking at right in front of me during the entire drive to the hospital. It was a precious gift from God in a terrible time. And that gift has been my reassurance from God in these last few days at the hospital. God is constantly reminding us that He is with us in the middle of our pain, our struggles, our uncertainty, our sadness. Thank you for loving us in all of this, God. If you are going through something difficult right now, I hope you can take encouragement and reassurance from that, too! As of today, the fever is under control, but the headache is persisting even through all the pain meds. It is so sad to see Dave in such pain. The doctors are running a lot of tests trying to find the source of the pain. Today was a very long and complicated test involving the blood flow to the brain. Yesterday they found very high pressure in Davie’s brain fluid during a spinal tap. Something that is quite serious. We have no idea what the next few days will bring, but we must trust that God knows. Please pray for comfort and strength for Dave. Please pray that his headache resolves. And please pray for great wisdom for the doctors. Pray that God would show them exactly what’s happening with Dave, and that He would show them the best and least invasive way to help him. We are in great need of God’s great mercies and miracles. There is a deep heaviness. But there is also a deep peace that can only come from our Heavenly Father. Thank you for your prayers, Carol Stoecklein

A Rough Few Days

It’s been a rough few days for Dave. We rushed him to Cedars ER on Tuesday evening with a sudden high fever and extreme headache. Again.

These trips to the hospital in the midst of uncertain circumstances have happened so often in the last several years, but they never become easy or commonplace. Each time is scary and filled with the dread of what could happen. Each time we are tempted to get sucked into a defeat filled with gloom and darkness. But each time God finds a way to bring hope into our hearts and a reminder that He is with us, bringing His unfailing love and strength. We are not alone.

Dave recently gave me a new Kari Jobe CD for my car. As I was driving him to the hospital on Tuesday, the song I was listening to was “I Am Not Alone.” I played it over and over again. Here’s some of the words in that song:

When I walk through deep waters
I know that You will be with me
When I’m standing in the fire
I will not be overcome
Through the valley of the shadow
I will not fear

I am not alone
I am not alone
You will go before me
You will never leave me

In the midst of deep sorrow
I see Your light is breaking through
The dark of night will not overtake me
I am pressing into You
Lord, You fight my every battle
And I will not fear

And picture this – this is true – as that song was playing in the car, I looked up and the sky was filled with dark and ominous clouds, with a small circle of light where the sun was peeking through in the distance. That’s what I was looking at right in front of me during the entire drive to the hospital. It was a precious gift from God in a terrible time. And that gift has been my reassurance from God in these last few days at the hospital. God is constantly reminding us that He is with us in the middle of our pain, our struggles, our uncertainty, our sadness. Thank you for loving us in all of this, God. If you are going through something difficult right now, I hope you can take encouragement and reassurance from that, too!

As of today, the fever is under control, but the headache is persisting even through all the pain meds. It is so sad to see Dave in such pain. The doctors are running a lot of tests trying to find the source of the pain. Today was a very long and complicated test involving the blood flow to the brain. Yesterday they found very high pressure in Davie’s brain fluid during a spinal tap. Something that is quite serious. We have no idea what the next few days will bring, but we must trust that God knows.

Please pray for comfort and strength for Dave. Please pray that his headache resolves. And please pray for great wisdom for the doctors. Pray that God would show them exactly what’s happening with Dave, and that He would show them the best and least invasive way to help him. We are in great need of God’s great mercies and miracles. There is a deep heaviness. But there is also a deep peace that can only come from our Heavenly Father.

Thank you for your prayers,

Carol Stoecklein

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