Rough Night

So, many of you know this already, but we had a rough night last night.

I got home from work around 8:30pm and called Livi's nurse...she had a fever of 104.1. The weather was getting bad, so I stayed in and prayed.

I called again about 10:30pm...she had a fever of 103.3 and her breathing was increasingly labored. We asked them to call us if things got worse in any way.

About an hour later, her nurse calls...Livi has increased oxygen needs, could possibly need to have a tube placed to help with that if she gets worse. Her chest X-Ray looks bad. They are moving her to PICU. Then they say: "It would probably be good if someone comes to sit with her."

(In our heads:  What does that mean sit with her? Be there for comfort "sit with her" or be there for the last time "sit with her?")

I got out in the snow and arrived at CMH around midnight. Doctor says she doesn't look bad. She looks like she will rest well and they won't need to place a breathing tube...and then I exhale. A couple of brothers that I love a ton arrived to pray for Livi and our family and just sit with us.

Rabbit trail:  If you don't already know this, we are a part of the most beautiful expression of community that we could imagine. People are our friends here, but they function as our family. What Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:26 ("If one member suffers, all suffer together...) really happens here. The brothers that came last night did all the support work that you could imagine last night...prayed for me, prayed for my daughter, prayed for Kelly and Gabby who were at home worrying and still awake. Then they went beyond that and called many of the people closest to us to have them check in on Kelly while I was away. It almost brings me to tears to think that if I had asked them to, they probably would have stayed here all night...end of rabbit trail.

It is 9:15am here. Livi slept well last night as did I in this amazing, plastic recliner that doesn't really recline. She stirred long enough to hold hands and know I am here. At least she knows that. I hope it brings her as much comfort as it does me.

We are thankful for all of you and covet your prayers. We will keep you updated as much as we can. Many have texted, called, etc. If we haven't responded to you, I apologize. We have limited emotional bandwidth today, so keep up on here, facebook, or twitter.

Here is what we are clinging to and praying since last night. I pray that you find hope and rest in this God as we have...

Psalm 121

[1] I lift up my eyes to the hills.

From where does my help come?

[2] My help comes from the LORD,

who made heaven and earth.

[3] He will not let your foot be moved;

he who keeps you will not slumber.

[4] Behold, he who keeps Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

[5] The LORD is your keeper; 

the LORD is your shade on your right hand.

[6] The sun shall not strike you by day,

nor the moon by night.

[7] The LORD will keep you from all evil;

he will keep your life.

[8] The LORD will keep

your going out and your coming in

from this time forth and forevermore.