ordinary sacred

My career in the Evangelical Covenant Church began with a late night phone call. It was 9:30 where I lived, 10:30 where the caller lived. I had been calling to find out how I could start working on staff in a covenant church. A woman named Doreen, who was new to her executive position over the department of Christian Formation, was finally able to return my numerous calls to her Chicago office… on her own time late a night. I was deeply impressed and moved by that fact- that she would call so late at night simply because she felt it was important. The rest is history, as some people say.

Tonight, I just hung up from aanother late night phone call from a doctor and have the same jittery feelings I did years ago. This doctor called us, at 10:30 pm his time, the night before he leaves on a trip… simply because he felt it was important.

And it is important because it’s about my son. 

The man who called, ladies and gentlemen, is apparently my son’s new GI doctor. The one we have been working toward. We started with moving toward a doctor in Texas, until our brilliant doctor in California pointed us toward Boston. The problem? Boston doctor wanted us to come twice. That’s a lot of travel for a 4 year old. A lot of stress for parents. A lot of everything. BUT with Boston doctor some (not all) of our medical costs would be covered by insurance, whereas Texas doctor? Nada. But the two trips… oh, those two trips stood in the way!

And then God intervened. Brilliant California doctors talked with this Boston doctor on our behalf. And Boston doctor called us.

And apparently, it’s a go. One trip. One week. Everything included. Partial things covered by insurance, not all… but some at least.

So I’m here feeling all the same jittery feelings I had when Doreen called me and started my new life with my Church. It’s weird how when you finally see what you have been working toward- what so many of our friends have contributed to- coming to fruition, it can cause nerves. The questions bounce around inside me: What if he doesn’t find anything? What if he finds something unfixable?

And there’s the mama-ache of knowing I will place my dearest, most precious human in the world into the hands of anesthesiologists and medical staff and let them put him to sleep and do procedures on him. And there’s the fear that he will have to relearn how to walk afterward like he did when we had anesthesia with ear tubes. And there’s this, and there’s that, and there’s …

But it’s official. We will know the dates before next week is up. We will know more details as they unfold. But this Boston doctors is OUR new doctor for the GI stuff.

You have so faithfully walked with us. You have read my words, you have given your support, you have even given to us financially to be able to afford this, and you have loved us so largely, generously, willingly. As we move toward this trip, it will feel overwhelming and fearful, exciting and hopeful. It will bring up the feelings of going in circles like before, and it will bring up a sense of being on to something that we will eventually untangle and solve. But we will walk it with you- if you are interested in traveling longer with us. And we will walk it with Jesus. And with each other.

We have asked for so much from you already. But we ask for more prayer, more thoughts, if you can spare them.