Andy's Condition

Before I give you news about Andy let me thank each one of you for the emails, calls, concern, prayers, financial help, encouragements....!!! I can testify that we are being upheld every moment. We have not experienced any moments of overwhelming fear or sorrow. We feel completely at peace; truly that supernatural peace that "passes all understanding". This morning Andy told me how he passed those hours on the floor of the bathroom- reciting scripture, in particular Isaiah 41:10 "Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." Andy said he was never afraid. Let me encourage all of you to start memorizing scripture; you never know when you'll need it!!!

This morning Luke talked with the doctor who told him that Andy's right carotid artery is blocked, which was the cause of the stroke. He will need to have a surgical procedure to fix that. They are concerned about the fact that a large portion of his brain was affected by the stroke and they may need to wait for some healing there before doing the procedure. He is still at risk of another stroke in the meantime, but they are treating him with medication to prevent that. We should know on Monday when they will do the procedure. At this time they are unable to predict how much rehabilitation we can expect. But somehow neither of us are asking questions about the future; we are just resting and taking each day as the Father gives it to us.

This morning in my devotions I was in Luke 5- the story about the paralytic whose friends carried him up on the roof to get him to Jesus. When Jesus saw the faith of the friends He said, "Your sins are forgiven". I've read that passage a thousand times but today I saw it in a new way- from Jesus' eyes. These friends would stop at nothing to get their friend healed. No obstacle was going to stand in their way. Whatever it took. Jesus, seeing that kind of determination, gives them something greater than what they wanted. They would have been satisfied with physical healing, but their friend would have eventually died someday anyway. Jesus gave him what he really needed- spiritual healing so that he would live forever, and then he gave them the lesser gift as well, physical healing.

As Andy lies paralyzed in bed we would be tempted to settle for a lesser blessing- physical healing- but what we both want is a greater blessing- we want others, in particular Andy's brother and family members to have their sins forgiven. The beauty is that our God is able to give both, the greater and the lesser!! Would you pray with us that the Father would use this event in the life of Andy's family for their salvation, and for the salvation of Italians?

thanks to each and every one of you,

resting in Jesus,

Linda and Andy