Oh friends, it has been ages since I posted anything. I guess today is as good a day as any. That and I have lots on my mind and kinda just need to unload it all.
Struggle, struggle, struggle. With friendships, with family, with everything. God must be working out something AWESOME for all of the struggling lately.
As some of you know, my stepmom broke her hip this past Thursday. This is what happened:
Elke (my stepmom) was out getting the rest of the groceries for my dad's surprise 70th birthday party that was suppose to be yesterday. She had enlisted the help of a bag boy at the grocery store to assist in getting it all to the car. As they were walking, a lady started backing out. She saw the bag boy but not my stepmom. So Elke jumped to the side to get out of the way and fell. She fell on her right hip on the hard surface of an icy parking lot. She broke her hip. So they took her to Pipestone and then transferred her to McKennan in Sioux Falls. Friday morning at 7AM she went in for surgery to repair what was broken.
My dad got the call that this had happened on Thursday night while he was in Kansas City delivering (he's a truck driver). He wasn't able to unload until Friday morning, so there he sits wondering what is happening, how bad it is, what's going to happen next.
Elke comes through surgery just fine. The surgeon was very happy with how it went and prognosis for healing is all positive. Now begins the hard part.
My dad finally gets to the hospital 8:30 Friday night and she is in incredible pain. He stays until midnight, goes home to get some sleep and my brother Jeremy and I go back with him on Saturday.
Here is the spiel on McKennan. My mom had all three of her back surgeries there, so Jeremy and I are already leary of having to go back to McKennan. But it went ok. So dad, Jeremy and I go to see Elke. She is in so much pain that she hasn't slept and because of all of the pain meds they have her on she hasn't eaten much. She is pretty small to begin with, so surgery plus little food and no sleep doesn't help. Jeremy and I decided to give dad and Elke some time alone so we go to the gift shop. We picked her up a few things and went back to the room.
We stayed for a little while but eventually the pain was just too much. We called in the nurse and asked him to give her some morphine so she could actually sleep and to lessen the pain a little. We then left to give her a chance to rest.
Friends, it's hard to watch your parents go through stuff like this. My dad just looks so tired and I know he is worried even if he tells me he's not. This just makes me want to wave a magic wand and take it all away. Make it so it didn't happen.
But, God will never give us more than we can handle, right?
So that's the latest. As soon as she is doing better, they are going to move her back to the hospital in Pipestone. Dad is temporarily not working to stay home and take care of Elke.
I know God will pull them through. He will pull all of us through.
Friends, I wish I were better at dealing with things sometimes. I just can't face people when I am hurting, even though I know I should. I don't apologize for that. God is working it out. I would be lying if I said my heart wasn't broken for all that our family has been through, but again, God is working that out, too. I can't wait to see what He has for us all, but until then we hold on another day and lean into His powerful embrace for strength.
You know what I want more than anything? A hug. A simple hug to know that someone else cares about what is happening. And to just let me sit and cry and not be weird about. Do you know crying is actually quite healing and cleansing? I know that you all do care, but sometimes I just want someone to show me they do.
Please continue to pray for my dad and stepmom. They could use all the prayer support they can get.
"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit." ~Psalm 34:18
There is a song that I have just really attached to this week. Shawn McDonald's "Closer".
Looking for a color in a shade of gray
Looking for love in a drop of rain
Trying to find change in the old mundane
Everything I do just feels the same
Spending my life out in the desert
Then gone so long feels like forever
I just want to be closer to you
I just want to be closer, I am yours
You can have all of me anything, everything
I just want to be closer
A day without you is a thousand years
A day without you is a million tears
Tell me what I’m doing wrong when I’m in fear
Why do I run when you are so near
Spending my life out in the weather
Been gone so long and I need some shelter
Where ever you go
Where ever you are
I just want be there with you
I just want to be closer to you
I just want to be closer
I am yours
You can have all of me anything everything
I just want to be closer
I just want to be closer to you
I just want to be closer
For I am yours
You can have all of me anything, everything
I just want to be closer
Looking for a color in the shade of gray
Looking for love in a drop of rain
