The Kearney Chronicles: The Real-Life Journey of a Homeschool Family: December 2013

"Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God." - Corrie Ten Boom

Christmas 2009. Intubated & awaiting tracheostomy surgery.

Christmas 2013. It has been four years since God prompted us to bring Timothy to the ER to save his life. That day in 2009 marks a major turning point in God's plan for our family.

Before, I had viewed suffering as an obstacle to overcome, not a place in which to dwell. But Timothy's condition would not allow that kind of victory. His problem was chronic. It could not be postponed, pushed through, or put away. It had to be accepted. For the rest of our lives.

Thank God that He is merciful, giving us at each moment only what we are able to bear, making His grace sufficient for us, and making us more like Christ in the process.

Christmas 2013 will begin a new chapter in our lives as God moves us far away from the comforts of home into a new, unfamiliar place. One by one, the pieces of our lives are being transferred from the world of everyday experience to the gauzy, ethereal realm of memories. Saying goodbye is painful, difficult, and brings sadness. This too, must be accepted.

Recovering at Kaiser Sunset PICU.

Last month as I sat beside Timothy's hospital bedside, my heart broke as I watched his young spirit despair in fear and sadness. I tried to distract him with movies and toys, but what he wanted was to hear Psalm 23. He listened intently as I told him of God's green pastures, of Him restoring our souls, of having Him to comfort us as we walk through the valley. Then I read the words of Isaiah 53, of Jesus, who understood what physical pain felt like. Then came the verse we had been memorizing the week before, Revelation 21:4, "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." He was engaged. He was enraptured. He heard every word. With an intriguing combination of childlike faith and the maturity that is gained only through suffering, my little boy was drinking in the water of life, God's truth, to comfort his hurting soul.

Cupcakes for Timothy Fundraiser.

The fact that we cannot understand the "why" of suffering does not matter. What counts is our response. It makes me think of a little girl named Audrey, 3, whom we met at Ronald McDonald House during our last stay. Audrey's mom showed me some of Audrey's "Beads of Courage." Every time Audrey endured a difficult medical procedure, she earned a special bead. "These are the ones she earned this week," said Audrey's mother, showing me a handful of beads. "She has a necklace in our room that goes all the way to the floor."

My prayer for Audrey, for Timothy, for you, is that, we will all turn to the suffering Son of God to come alongside us in our pain and find rest for our souls as we put our trust in Him. Have you asked Jesus to forgive you for your sins? He came to earth as a baby on Christmas so that He could grow up, take the punishment of death that was reserved for you, and bear it upon Himself so that, someday, you can dwell in the presence of the Almighty where there will never be any pain again.

Like us, is God beginning a new chapter in your life?

Hebrews 12:25," See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking."

Merry Christmas.