Uncomfortably Authored

Standing for a few seconds despite the brace.

Last week we heard back from the US specialist doctor about Easy-Teasy's hips that aren't formed well enough to keep from dislocating. They are still measuring the same and there has been no change in four months despite the 24/7 corrective brace. This was a big blow. Quickly I was angry that God didn't see it fit to use the brace to heal him. Then I remembered back to a blog that I had read this past week about a single woman missionary, who was in a far off country for Thanksgiving on her own. She had talked about how this is not how she would have written her life, but she trusts the Author of her life. 

Gradually I became more settled with it. But it seems like we have children's needs fighting against each other and I am left wondering if the family is going to be split between US and Sahel this coming year. 

Zig Zag is in the middle of the US citizenship application that has 5 major steps left, and we don't know when each step will be approved. At the end of the lengthy process when he enters the US he will become a US citizen. But, he has to enter the US within 6 months of when his citizenship is approved. Of course while he is there he will also have to then get a US passport, so it can't just be an in and out visit. So this year he cannot visit the US at just any old time, which was fine with our family until we heard this news that Easy-Teasy's hips have made no improvement. 

After this news from the doctor we have lots of questions. Questions that I am pretty sure will be a little hard to get answered. We have been told to have him continue to wear the brace for the next 3 months and repeat and X-ray then. Outside of a miracle, I don't see hope for improvement because it seems like progress is made at a younger age instead of older age with the brace. If he goes to surgery, it is a very invasive and complicate procedure with a big cast/casts at the end. We assume the surgery would be best the earlier it is done, so maybe we need to have him come back to the States to do it as soon as possible? This video shows what he is probably facing.

So this coming year is looking very complicated to meet the needs of our children. Last night as I had a few minutes of free time God gave me the gift of remembering to spend that time in praise. Every time that I am thinking of the future and I'm uncertain of what is going to take place, He has reminded me to praise Him. After an uncertain thought where I am trying to plan the un-plan-able, I am brought to praise. 

We KNOW God can heal if it is His plan. So we continue to trust the Author of our lives - even when it isn't written as we think we would choose!

UPDATE -- This week we heard from the doctor that they do have hope for the brace to change Easy-Teasy's hip situation, and need more X-ray examples over time to see for sure if there is noteworthy progress.  They also wouldn't think of doing surgery at least for another two years.  So, thankfully, that gives us a lot more information to work with in terms of planning what the next year might look like.

-- La Maestra