Every Day Is Different

Aug 11, 2007

What a day! What a day! I am still in the midst of waiting. In the midst of the wait I was reminded that whenever life seems to be on hold, it isn't. I was busy preparing my work so that everything is prepared when I go into hospital. Just after lunch I received a telephone call from our sister church, Christian Fellowship Assembly, in Grande Prairie. Their senior pastor is on holidays and there was a crisis for one of the families that attending their church. The family is in Edmonton and had lost their new born baby. Would I know someone who could help? I told the caller that I could and she said she would call the father and get him to call me. Shortly after that he called me and we arranged to meet at the Royal Alexander Hospital in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. I went in and met with the whole family: Dad, mom, three young children and their two cousins. So when I met the family their were five children with us, all under the age of 11. The mother had gone for a routine medical procedure as part of her pregnancy care in Grande Prairie. During the procedure the medical staff made some kind of error and the water sack surrounding the baby was punctured. She was put on complete bed rest for about 2 weeks. The baby was born on July 25 - 14 weeks premature. After over two weeks of hope the little baby, a girl, passed away on August 9. The parents lost their precious child whom they had named, Miracle Ene Jedidiah. She was a symbol of hope in their lives. Their prayers were that this precious little one would live. This family is from Nigeria and are just beginning to build their lives in Canada. They recently have purchased a new home in Grande Prairie and things are very tight for them. They do not have much and the way we deal with death in Canada is very different. We have been able to make arrangements for a funeral on August 15 and I was able to help them through the preparations and pray with them. They are a fine Christian couple.

I remembered, in a moment my father's words, who had been ill for most of his life. He said, "whenever I begin to feel sorry for myself I look around and I see someone who has bigger problems." My heart went out to this family and they reminded me that I still have a purpose and a ministry. God opened my eyes and my heart to see that my problems are in His hands. It doesn't matter how my journey through cancer ends. The thing that matters is how I continue to deal with my life through the journey. He will give me the strength and peace to carry me through to the end.

In His care and under His Wings

Rick