“Colleen, its worse than I thought! The doctors said I have a deep back fracture and put me on complete bed rest for 4 months! I can’t come to Thailand and I can’t even go to my classes!” I fell on my couch stunned like a mosquito flying toward a blue buzzing light! Barrett’s back has been so bad the past couple of weeks that he had to crawl on his hands and knees to get to the bathroom. Thankfully his sister Tama took her into her family for over a week and served him better than an entire hospital staff could! What an amazing example of mercy and compassion she has been to me! Well, like I said on my last email, he was still bed ridden on Monday (4 days before his flight here) and went back to the ER for an X Ray, the results of which had left me fallen on my couch in complete shock as I was sure that God was going to heal him.
“You can’t do that to the girl! She’ll never believe anything you say!” I heard in the background as Tama took the phone. “He’s fine! He’ll be driving to the base tomorrow, KY the next day, and be on that plane to Thailand on Friday!” WOOO HOOO!!! I was so excited! I can’t remember the last time my emotions did such a 180! I almost got sick with the force and might have said some choice things to Barrett in the rush! =0)
By the time he left for the plane on Friday he was walking around and feeling almost completely better! Its been so incredible to see the transformation and know it is only due to God’s grace! Its been fun to share the experience with my students and pray for the situation as well as tell my other Thai friends who are blinded to God’s truth what was going on and how God has been working. It’s been a huge lesson for Barrett and I as well! To see if we really believe God’s character of goodness, to see if we really trust that He is good and works good for all situations. To test and see if we are still finding our joy first in Him. Its also been humbling to realize how frail we are and that each step and day of health is a gift from Him. Oh how much I take my legs, arms, hands, and heartbeat for granted! Oh how much I set up my own expectations based not on God’s truth, but on what I think would make me feel good.
So there I was standing with the eclectic masses holding various signs and cameras at the airport arrival area 7 hours after the original time due to a plane switch in KY…then delayed for another 30 minutes for who knows why. I stood around the people holding signs in Korea and jabbering in Thai about who they were supposed to pick up. I saw the others run as they saw their friends and loved ones come out of the gate and still I waited…and waited as one by one the people came and went with no familiar face presenting itself to my hunter-like eyes. Huh, that’s odd. His plane should totally have landed by now! I tried to call with no luck. An hour later I finally see him come out of the gate wearing his “Im with Stupid shirt!” I laughed as Barrett finally entered my world without his luggage, standing tall and walking on his own 2 feet!!!