Through Deep Waters

It was winter of 2021 and we'd all been through probably one of the weirdest couple of years with the world going wild through navigating Covid and what that all meant. I was excited to head into 2022 and it felt like a new beginning to leave what felt so different behind. What I didn't know going into 2022 was that my world was about to be thrown into the deep end of the pool and I wasn't ready. Here's the story of where God tested me AND brought me through having taught me what it really meant to have a relationship with Him.

I know that each one of us was impacted in different ways by those few years- that season brought a lot of us fear, pain, and confusion. No matter how you were affected, something we KNOW is that God is still the same God that He's always been. I want to share my story and shout from the rooftops God's goodness, faithfulness, and blessings. Glory be to the One who gives and takes away.

Christmas 2021 we were getting ready to enjoy beautiful time with our family. In between those busy weeks bouncing from place to place we had gotten word that my husbands dad had gotten Covid a few days before Christmas. We knew that he was high risk for complications, but we prayed God would pull him through. The days from Christmas to New Years you would find us with tears crying out to God to preserve Alex's dad. The answer we got from God stung, it didn't make sense, he was too young to be taken from us...But God saw fit to allow this trial to hit our family and he was taken to be with the Lord.

The day after he passed Alex tested positive for Covid. We thought Alex was on the way up and he just had a lingering cough. We headed into the doctor to get him some meds as he was developing pneumonia. Three weeks passed since he had gotten sick and we woke up on a sunny Friday morning to Alex coughing up blood. We packed our 6 month old in the car and headed to the ER. They wouldn't allow me back with my husband so I had to just get back in my car and go home. We figured they would get him better meds and he'd be back later that afternoon to rest.

I had a photo appointment for Tucker's 6 month old pictures that day and since I couldn't be with Alex anyways I decided to head to my appointment. We just finished snapping photos of our happy, laughing little boy when I got the call from Alex that he had blood clots in his lungs and he would be staying in the hospital. Thank goodness God allowed him to have a sign that morning that he needed to get to the hospital because they said they caught them early enough that the chance of them being life threatening was much lower.

Alex was in the hospital for 5 days alone, grieving the loss of his dad, and in a lot of pain. Because of the unknown of how covid would continue to effect his body it kept me fighting back fear. He was able to come home and rest at home after those 5 days, but we still had weeks of appointments & months of him off work.

The peace that God allowed me in this season and clarity of thinking and mind was astounding. Leaning into God through the deep waters and feeling his nearness through this constant line of prayer to our Lord. God used this to grow me in so many ways and for that I am grateful.

God isn't afraid of our doubts, fears, questions.

Mark 9:23-24 NKJV - Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!

Counting My Blessings by Seph Schlueter

It's like it was yesterday

I was a praying for a miracle

Scared to have a little hope

And now looking back today

Seeing all the things You've done

I can't even add them up

One, two, three

Up to infinity

I'd run out of numbers

Before I could thank You for everything

God, I'm still counting my blessings

All that You've done in my life

The more that I look in the details

The more of Your goodness I find

Father on this side of Heaven

I know that I'll run out of time

But I will keep counting my blessings

Knowing I can't count that high

And I know the seasons never lost forever

So God, I will remember

All of the reasons my heart has to be grateful

All the times You've been faithful to me

God, I'm still counting my blessings

All that You've done in my life

The more that I look in the details

The more of Your goodness I find

Father on this side of Heaven

I know that I'll run out of time

But I will keep counting my blessings

Knowing I can't count that high

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