Can you believe one year ago we heard the words TUMOR! Our world seemed to stop that day and crumble into a million pieces. And we have been picking them up slowly. Can you believe that since that day we found out we would have a new little guy in our family! We continued on our path of makn memories. So much has happened in the last year! Kyle graduated 8th grade and is now in High School. Brandon is a senior in High School. Jillian is in 3rd grade and Elizabeth is now in Pre-K. Malachi is growing like a weed and at 4 months old is soon going to be able to scoot anywhere he wants to go. Vacations and road trips. Happy dr. appointments and appointments that we thought we may never stop crying after. Just a few months ago we were all living together and sharing one bathroom while Brett and I were waiting on our house to close! Who would have guessed that this Kansas girl would ever see and take part in a hurricane evacuation?
It’s kinda funny how you can avoid doing something as simple as just posting how a family is doing. We keep passing the task around and I guess it’s my turn. It seems that we could post a change almost every hour right now. We just don’t know how to express what is happening. It is so much easier to write a post with happy news. Hospice is now helping Kim with the care of Joel. They try to predict how much more time we have to share together. Honestly there prediction is shorter than we are ready for.
Not everyone gets to know that their end is coming. We want to have as much peace as possible about the day Joel goes to heaven to be with our Lord and Savior. But, can you really have peace about something like that? There is a lot of comfort in knowing that we are all ready and we will be together again in heaven. Comfort and peace…..strange words to use in a time like this. But, when we give all our troubles to God there is comfort and peace. Please pray for the comfort and peace of our family. Pray for Kim’s strength and guidance in the daily care decisions for Joel.
Joel is still responsive and understands and will have small conversations. Joel mostly listens. He is starting to experience many symptoms that are hard to discuss, the decline of someone’s body is astounding. God made our bodies’ so complex. But Joel’s health is slowly declining. He is on oxygen now.
There have been many visitors coming to see Joel. Kim said it has been very comforting.
God you have perfect timing. Isn’t it crazy? Last summer we bought our boat and were able to spend the whole summer boating together. One of Joel’s favorite things to do. If we hadn’t done that we would never have gotten the chance for those memories. The RV trip….perfect. I like to call it our “Makn Memories Tour”. Who would have thought everything happening to Brett and our companies would stop our world and free up all of our time consuming obligations. So Brett can be with his family. But yet in the back of my mind I keep thinking about all the memories that are left to make! There is so much left to happen. These scriptures have been comforting to me this week.
Psalm 34:18 “the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in Spirit…”
James 1:3-4 “Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
I have been listening to this song over and over again. I think it was somehow written for us! God just pours into me through it. A part of me just wants to hit fast forward and to look ahead and know everything is going to be ok. Another part of me wants to hit pause and just slow the world down. It all seems to be happening so fast. But I also have the comfort that God isn’t shaken. He knew that all this would happen at once. And He knew that we all would make it through this. Hind sight is always 20/20. God isn’t surprised by anything. I just have to wait (which I hate) for it all to pass in God’s own perfect timing. Not my own. I don’t understand it but I don’t need to.
You’re not shaken by Phil Stacey
I am sinking in a river that is raging
I am drowning will I ever rise to breathe again
I want to know why
I just want to understand
Will I ever know why?
How can this be from your hand?
When every little thing that I would dream of being just slips away like water through my hand
And when it seems the walls of my beliefs are crashing down like they are made of sand
I won’t let go of you now because I know you’re not shaken.
I am trembling in the darkness of my own fear
All the questions with no answers so grip me while I’m here
And I may never know why oh I may not understand
But I will lift up my eyes and trust this is your plan
When every little thing that I would dream just slips away like water through my hand
And when it seems the walls of my belief s are crashing down like they are made of sand
I won’t let go of you now because I know you’re not shaken
When I am in the valley of the shadow of death
You’re not shaken, you’re not shaken
Your right here beside me and you would never left.
You’re not shaken, You’re not shaken.
When everything that I would dream just slips away like water through my hand
And when it seems the walls of my belief are crashing down like they are made of sand
I won’t let go of you now because I know you’re not shaken.
Blessings,
Kyndra J. Blackman and family
Joshua 1:9 "...Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."
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