It’s hard to believe all that will be coming to an end just next week. After 14 moths of  sleeping in separate beds (except recent weekends), 14 months of eating institutionalized cafeteria food, 14 months of  walking out of lanes room and being surrounded by strangers, 14 months of  depending on others for Lanes transportation (which has been a huge area of trust for me), we are so grateful to be moving on. I say these things simply because we absolutely thrilled to begin the opposite, not that we haven’t been thankful for the food, transportation, and beds provided.

Speaking of transportation, please pray for us as we wait for insurance to provide the necessary vehicle to daily transport Lane (with his power chair). They are obligated to provide transportation to all medical appointments/therapies, but sometimes won’t provide a vehicle/rental for our recreational use until they see how astronomical the bills are for  medical transportation. We are hoping and praying they’ll see the amounts presented by our case manager and just get us the rental right away. Otherwise we’ll depend on others to help with recreational type activities and it simply will be harder to get out (until they agree to provide a rental or purchases ramp van) alone. We appreciate your prayers in this seemingly small but BIG request. We are so thrilled that we’ll be in a place of our own, but one of our favorite things is to travel together and explore the city….. restaurants, shops, parks, libraries and museums where we are living.

So grateful to be taking on another day at my courageous man’s side,

Emily

My heart is simply bursting with thankfulness as I think about the days and weeks we have before us. Two weeks from tomorrow  (Feb. 27th) Lane will officially discharge from inpatient therapy here at Hope, and the day after we  will move into our first home post accident. Yesterday Lane and I signed the lease for the apartment we will be moving into. After weeks of searching for an apartment with an actual roll in shower, we found one that is perfect. The area is beautiful, close to where he’ll be doing outpatient therapy, and we’ll have plenty of space for Lane’s extra therapy equipment. It will actually be our first ‘home’ outside college married housing (besides our weekend home/apartment at my parents, which has been a huge blessing).

I’ve been dreaming the past couple days of being able to set up our home as a wife once again. The other day I told my mom that it honestly feels like the first time because its been so long. Being able to cook for Lane, decorate, play music all day, and clean….yes, I never thought I’d say it, but I miss cleaning our home. My eyes are welling up with tears of joy just thinking about these seemingly small normal aspects of life that we’ll be able to experience once again. Oh and did I mention we’ll actually be able to sleep in the SAME bed?! Praising God for these blessings that we didn’t know we’d ever be able to experience together again on December 26th, 2012.

 I must emphasize that as excited we are to move to our own place once again, we hold these treasures with open arms— recognizing the brevity of this life and looking most forward to our true, eternal residence. One of the many things God has faithfully taught us this past year. So with our eyes fixed upward we will gratefully take on this next step of this journey, desiring above all to know Christ and make Him known.

Thank you, friends and family, for not ceasing to walk beside us.

L&E

PS. 2 years ago today Lane asked me to spend the rest of my life at his side. I am more thankful with each day that I said ‘absolutely yes!!’ It is such a JOY taking on life, together. In sickness and in health.

Quick ‘brag on my husband’ post. Yesterday lane walked the length of the pool here at Hope 4 times with his physical therapist supporting his trunk! We are so grateful for other options that make the seemingly impossible task of walking a little easier–like the pool:) A HUGE step in the right direction! Praise God.

As we are at our ‘weekend home’ this weekend we’re reminded of what life will be like in just a matter of weeks. It will be a big transition with its challenges for sure, but more than anything we’re so ready to begin life together outside inpatient rehab facilities or hospitals once again. I can’t begin to express in words how thrilled we are for this next step.

Based on talking with Lane’s therapists, social worker, and case manager, they think we are very ready for this step. Lane won’t be done with therapy by any means. As of now he plans on doing outpatient rehab at the Lansing Hope Network, but also possibly taking on PT at a more intensive rehab facility specifically for brain injuries and spinal cord injuries in the Grand Blanc area (commuting there a couple times a week).

Last night we were able to tour a few apartments in the Lansing area and are pretty sure we found the one that we are going to be calling home for the next however many months (or years:). It’s beautiful, accessible, and close to both our jobs–Lane’s therapy and my homecare work. We are SO excited. Early this next week we’ll be getting Lane’s official discharge date from Hope, depending on some loose ends that need to be tied up. They are guessing 2-3 weeks!

Tomorrow we are celebrating the birthday of  one of our precious nieces, Alice Joy. Remembering with much gratefulness the smiles and joy she brought to us when we first met her last year at Mary Free Bed…and the joy she continues to bring:) I’ve included a pic of her and Lane around this time last year.

Hope Network recently had a video made in celebration of 50 years. We are just one of the families that has benefited from their incredible work and devotion. Check out the man on the cover:)

We so appreciate your continued love, prayer, and support as we have many transitions ahead.

L&E

Alice with her Uncle Lane who was sporting his mustache in March last year:)

http://vimeo.com/78853507

The problem of reconciling human suffering with the existence of a God who loves is only  insoluble so long as we attach a trivial meaning to the word ‘love’, and look on things as if man were the centre of them. Man is not the centre.

C.S Lewis

This past week we met with some of Lane’s team and had a really good discussion on what’s next in Lane’s rehab journey. They said they know we don’t want to be at Hope forever, and we whole heartedly agreed. Lane has taken on every day of therapy here (as he did at Mary Free Bed) with diligence and perseverance, as he will in outpatient therapy when he is discharged from Hope.  What is not in our hands though is the recovery time that he will need or how far he will physically progress. How do we rest, and find peace or direction in tomorrow or 10 years from now, then, you may ask? Christ. Nothing else. You see, this is the perspective that we have learned is pivotal in times of joy, brokenness, and fear as we’ve walked this road. It should be a perspective every one of us holds regardless of the circumstance.

At the team meeting they told us they are planning on an April discharge date for Lane. We are SO thrilled to be taking this next step, but we have many decisions and planning ahead. Michigan’s No Fault auto insurance has been an incredible HUGE blessing ever since the day the accident took place, but we need your prayer it will continue to be as we look into housing, a lift vehicle etc (which we’ve heard can a bit more of a process). And if you have the chance to ever talk to your legislator or speak up about the recent Michigan no fault auto hype, please do. Good or bad, it will most likely effect Lane and I the rest of our lives. We never ever would have thought the difference it can make financially in someone who’s been in an (severe) auto accident’s life before our accident happened. If you don’t know about it, google it.

As Lane has been at Hope they’ve done an excellent job of preparing us for life ahead with his physical disabilities now. Not only with incredible adaptive equipment, but emotionally by having us meet 1on 1 with people who have lived life just as fully and beautifully from a chair. We don’t know what lies ahead or how far Lane will progress. We DO know that Lane will daily press on in therapy and we trust our God who has our best [His best] in mind.

We appreciate your continued prayer as we daily continue to learn and desire to grow. Whether its how to take on life as we take the next steps outside Hope inpatient rehab, or in marriage, or most importantly in our relationships with Christ. Thank you for role you’ve played on this journey. Whether you’ve stood beside us in prayer, encouraged us via notes or visits, assisted us financially, or simply held our hands or walked with us in the darkest nights. We need you to please continue, however long we are on this road.

Gratefully standing beside my hero as we fix our eyes on Christ,

E

As I sat in my monthly meeting with Lane’s social worker here at Hope, I pondered this question. “Yes, in some ways,”  I immediately replied. To be honest there were more than just a few frightening aspects of our future going through my head. The lack of Lanes major physical gains, me needing to be the main bread winner when just last year one of my greatest desires was to be a stay at home mom and wife, countless medical bills that need to be paid (and hopefully will be paid by Our no fault auto insurance), having to leave Lane in the hands of strangers everyday that I work (strangers that we trust:)…just to list a few. Then I thought some more. The truth of the matter is, we don’t even know what tomorrow, or next month will hold. And although we have so many things for which we could very easily worry or be anxious about, it does us no good and only hardens our hearts towards the countless irreplaceable things that Christ desires to teach us in this valley.

So as soon as I told lanes social worker the things that frighten me about the future, I finished by saying “Wait. I can’t just sit here and tell you the things that worry us about tomorrow or 10 years from now. I’m sure I could go all day listing those things, as could you. Lane and I have found that we must dwell on what we know is true today and will be tomorrow or in 100 years from now. Christ and his infallible word is our only certainty in this life, regardless of our circumstances. Because we’ve chosen to hold on to this truth, this accident that in the worlds eyes has taken so much from us, has only been a treasure that Has caused us to cling to this precious truth, the certainty of Christ.”

And yes, on many days this is easier said than done. But on the days we are anxious or discontent or upset at why in the world we are where we are today, God quietly and gently reminds us through his word and the Holy Spirit that He is all we need in this fleeting life.

Lord, teach us to look to you for our satisfaction and peace today.

-e

PS. Not sure that I made it evident in this post, but we are SO grateful for the social worker (that I had this convo with) Lane has here at Hope. She is the best he has had by FAR and we are amazed and encouraged at her thoughtfulness and care for us as a couple.

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Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I [am] with thee: be not dismayed; for I [am] thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

“The Lord is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:26

God’s word is a precious breath of fresh air every moment of every day, but the past couple days we’ve clung to passages like these as we were thrust into hospital mode once again. Lane was discharged from St. Mary’s around 3:30 yesterday afternoon, stone free and able to pee. As is common after the surgical removal of a kidney stone, he had some difficulties voiding immediately after the procedure so a catheter was placed on Friday night. Saturday it was removed and they ensured his ‘pipes’ were working independently before he left. Once we got back to Hope though, he couldn’t go again. So his urologist said he needs a catheter again placed for a few more days to allow the urinary tract spasms to subside. So at about 9p last night Lane was very gratefully relieved once again. There is nothing like having a full bladder and not being able to empty it.

Taking it real easy today and spending more precious time together in God’s word. Our only true peace, certainty, and hope as our feeble physical bodies are ill or well.

Thank you for continuing to lift us up in prayer. It’s been a very long 12+ months of being away from our earthly ‘home’, but in all honestly its given us a greater perspective and longing for our true residence with Christ.

Resting in the all sufficient arms of our Savior today,

l&e