To land amidst the trees

We made it to Seattle. Yesterday was a pretty big blur in my mind. Between some final packing moments by some great friends who sacrificed some of their precious time to come down from Dallas to put our apartment in boxes, going to the airport, feeling like I was holding my breath through most of the airport, and then being on the flight, and then getting off the flight, making it to Lisa's parent's house and waking up this morning it seems like a huge big blur.

But there we are, I've awaken on Resurrection Sunday, among the trees of the Massingill's house. Still alive a week after some doctor's in the ER said that I probably wouldn't make it this long. God has brought friends and family together to be there to encourage me to being me to where I am now. I would say this last week that I could have made some new friends, but don't know if I will ever have time to cultivate those... Perhaps my just being there and them seeing what I was and what God was doing was enough. God used me to touch them, and it is my hope that that touch goes far beyond this week, instilling life and hope in their lives,much like God showed them in mine. Thank you so much father for being a part of that. Never have I felt so purposeful being in a hospital room.

The flight yesterday was interesting. We had a first class tickets and also a couple hundred things that could have gone wrong. Despite everything that COULD have gone wrong I can only think of a handful of slightly grumpy people that could have had a better attitude, but other than that, it went fairly flawlessly. The only "strange" thing,was the battery pack in the air compressor I carried with me was supposed to last five hours. Subtract "promises" and I expected perhaps a good 3 hours out of it. The flight was four hours and twelve minutes. Maybe an hour and a half into the flight my battery pack decided it was going to die. We had to go through the hassel of switching the bettery between two plane seat (this device is the size of a carry-on suitcase). Got it replaced and turned down the airflow even more to 1 liter of oxygen extra an hour. Figured that would save me. So between dinner and a movie and napping three hours rolls around and guess what? I have almost no battery life left. I had to be very delicate until we got to the car so I could plug it in. Oh well. God got me through it all and here I am this morning. Despite the hiccups, the transitions, the things that could have gone wrong, the things that went flawlessly God was there and He helped us get here. 

I am tired, yesterday was rough, but I woke up this morning with the oxygen off my face and I got up and went to the bathroom without needing to use it. I think I am getting better at pacing myself. (It beats dragging this noisy monster around with me... ) but seriously, I'll do what I need to do God's will for me.

Prayer stuff: a big blessing on all of you, for everything. I don't really know that I could have asked for a better group of supporters. You come to my blog, read what I write, PRAY for me, lift me up to the Lord, encourage me (richly) with your words, donate money to help cover some costs, and then ask for more ways to help, more ways to pray, and so many of you want to see us in person as well. Your generosity to Lisa and I, in all aspects amazes me. If WE are the body of Christ exampled here, I am going to say that this one hurting member is being well taken care of, and it displays God to me. All your combined actions to bring us from one place to another are Christ working in you. Thank you for being open to being to being used by God. 

As Lisa and I get settled a bit more here in Seattle we will want to see people. I don't yet know how much I can handle in a day, or even how to go about scheduling such things. Most likely you'll have to come to me, but there might be some exceptions where I will go someplace to see a group of people or a place. As my medical staff said before I left, some days will be easier and better than others, while there will be some days where you just want to stay in bed. I don't yet know how I am going to do it, but I'll work something up and we will see what God uses. Just know if you want to see me that it might not be you, or me, it just might be a tricky situation that needs getting around.

Prayers for Lisa as she has a few things to coordinate from here to Houston, and do some work, and keep an eye on me. She needs rest, she needs to stay healthy, and I would like it if she could stay stress free. She's not me, so she doesn't need to be couped up inside, or tethered to my oxygen tank. So please don't forget about her in all this, she needs friends to ask her out to do things just as much as I do. And hopefully she will respond in time to those requests as we settle in.

Now, the true purpose and intent of today: "HE is RISEN!" (Oh so mightily! I personally don't know how anyone could say that I don't serve an active and living God. I mean, have you READ this blog?) God is great and active in our lives, and He displays it through you to me. Other times he acts directly in our lives, but just because He can work directly doesn't mean he won't choose to use one of his followers as his hands and feet in the matter! Be open to God and show the world His love. The love of a RISEN God! Our God, creator of the universe, author of life, died FOR us, (take away our sins, saves us from eternal damnation and separation from everything that IS God) and what He asks in return is our obedience to the things He calls us to do. This blog is riddled with such examples. Both from Lisa and I, and many more times, of stuff that YOU have done because you stepped out to do something that God asked you to and provided for us. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

~B.
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