I want to hear from you

Whew... my busy speaking circuit (ha, ha) has finally slowed down.  And just in time, because I am at the point in my pregnancy where I am pretty fat and just want to be a lazy bum as much as possible.  In the last couple weeks, I have spoken at an IU Health Transformation Team Retreat (a.k.a., a conference hall full of people in suits who do important stuff for IU Health and who invited me to share our family's story at their quarterly meeting); I have spoken at the Pray for Caleb Rally; I have, with Daniel, been interviewed and videoed for the Ronald McDonald House, who are making a video with our story to be used at fundraisers; and I have spoken at the awesome Henry County Women's Retreat, which included making another video about our story.  I am now officially worn out and a little tired of hearing myself talk.  :)  Of course, I loved every opportunity, even though they have all been back to back, because I love when I get to shine a light not necessarily on our family, but on God who makes our story good and not depressing.  I hope I get many more opportunities.  But maybe not for a couple months.... first, I need to push this baby out.  Which will be soon!  Six weeks to go.

If you're wondering what on earth we're going to do if this baby is born and we're STILL in the hospital, join the club!  The answer is, we will just figure it out.  I never dreamed I would deliver this baby and then bring her "home" to.... the Ronald McDonald House.  But if that's what happens, we will be fine.  We aren't even stressed about it.  We're just really, really excited for her to join our family.  Baby Lucy is going to have to be able to go with the flow, just like the rest of us.  And she will, because she has no choice!  She's going to be tough and flexible, just like her awesome brothers.

At the Pray for Caleb Rally, Tisha Sledd prayed for that event to be like a tidal wave of grace that carries us to the finish line.  We are riding that wave of grace and have been encouraged.  God has given me the courage to keep asking that He would not only provide a new heart for Caleb, but that that heart would not even come from a transplant.  I am praying that God would miraculously heal his current heart, with no surgery, and I know that is a totally crazy, almost idiotic thing to hope for.  But I am hoping.  Whatever God does, I believe wholeheartedly that Caleb WILL have a new heart, some way or other.  

The Rally was a very special night for me.  It went exactly as I hoped it would go, and the feedback I have gotten from people who were there has blown me away.  Obviously many people had an amazing experience with God that night. For those of you who weren't there, I shared with the crowd that I was tired of praying these prayers of discouraged resignation, just asking God to help me get through the day instead of BOLDLY asking God to heal Caleb and make him well.  My prayers have shifted to ones full of hope and confidence and my perspective of God is changing; I believe He wants Caleb to be well, too.  I challenged everyone there that night to begin to pray boldly themselves, not just for Caleb, but about their own lives.  And from what I've heard, God spoke to so many people that night who have now begun to pray boldly too.  I want to encourage you, if you were there that night:  If a seed was planted in your heart, a seed of faith or boldness, protect that seed.  Jesus talked about this in a parable He told in Matthew 13.  I am praying that every seed God planted in our hearts that night would come to bear fruit.  Sometimes God speaks to us and we very easily forget, or get discouraged, or fail to obey what we thought He wanted us to do.  Those seeds are snatched up or blown away and sometimes they don't take root.  I pray for each of you, that whatever seed God planted that night in your life would take deep root and grow to completion, bearing fruit that lasts and lasts!  Don't lose heart if God spoke to you!  

In fact, please share what He spoke to you so I can pray for you and so we all can be encouraged.  I want to ask you who read this blog to do something for me; would you help me make this blog more interactive?  Meaning, I want to hear your responses to what you read and what God speaks to you through this blog.  I would love for there to be dozens of responses.  I want this blog to be more of a two-way conversation, a dialogue where people share what they're thinking so we're all encouraged.  So please!  SHARE WITH ME, and the other readers, what God has been speaking to you if you attended the Pray for Caleb Rally.  Leave a message on this blog, and give me some feedback.

I look forward to hearing from you!