Home again

Brooklyn once again responded well post-surgery.  She and Jenny spent the rest of Friday and Saturday watching her vitals and preparing to possibly come home.  Jenny's brother Alan and his sweet wife came by for a visit on Friday and brought Jenny some treats.  Jenny's other brother Steve and his son Brandon came by to visit as well (Barbie, Mikayla and Scott had come by on Thursday).  So all in all we were well visited in the hospital and appreciated the company.  It certainly helps mundane hours pass more pleasantly.  

 

The staff had planned on letting Jenny and Brooklyn come home at a reasonable hour on Saturday, which to me was pretty amazing given she could easily have had to stay several days. after the surgery on Friday.  However, the only neurosurgeon there had a case that needed to be addressed before he could review the results of Brooklyn's CT scan.  That one case unfortunately turned into another, then another and another.  We are grateful that this surgeon was able to help so many in need and, by the time he was done, it was late.  So Jenny and Brooklyn arrived home just after midnight this morning.  I am so grateful they arrived home safely after a long drive in the dark.

Brooklyn has been sleeping most of the day but looks great.  So far so good on her recovery, and the key will be to get her incisions to heal in a timely manner.  We are obviously hopeful this shunt will take. 

Elder Bednar had an interesting take on trials that he discussed in a recent address that we covered at church a couple of weeks ago.  Here is a link to the talk in case you are interested.  I highly recommend it.  There are two main points I'd like to share from this talk.  The first centers on Elder Neal A Maxwell.  Elder Bednar shares some of a conversation he had with Elder Maxwell, who had recently fought a bout with leukemia.  Here is part of that conversation: 

"During the course of our conversations that day, I asked Elder Maxwell what lessons he had learned through his illness. I will remember always the precise and penetrating answer he gave. “Dave,” he said, “I have learned that not shrinking is more important than surviving.”"

This choice of whether or not to shrink in the face of trials is something that we can all relate to.  I guess for me, at least for now, this means that we won't give up our faith when things are difficult, even when they become too difficult for short moments.  It means we'll still turn to God each night and give Him thanks for His innumerable blessings each day, even when we are trying to wait on Him for the blessing we earnestly desire.

The second (and related) point from the talk is a little harder, but does provide insight into what it means to have faith in Christ. Having faith in a trial such as Brooklyn is facing clearly involves confidence in Christ and God and Their ability to heal and deliver.  If there are two halves to faith, the other would be God's will, whether that be to heal or not heal, for His all-knowing purposes.  This is perhaps the "harder to swallow" part of faith.  Elder Bednar discussed this issue when relating a story of a young couple facing the challenge of the husband's cancer.  In that story, the young man asked for a blessing from Elder Bednar.  Elder Bednar explains:

"I responded that I gladly would give such a blessing, but I first needed to ask some questions.

I then posed questions I had not planned to ask and had never previously considered: “[John,] do you have the faith not to be healed? If it is the will of our Heavenly Father that you are transferred by death in your youth to the spirit world to continue your ministry, do you have the faith to submit to His will and not be healed?”

For me, when trying to apply this principle to Brooklyn's situation, I guess it's helpful to ask similar questions.  I hope Jenny and I will always have the faith necessary to know that God's will is being done.  In other words, if we have the faith that Brooklyn can be healed and that is God's will, this shunt will take.  If we have the faith that Brooklyn can be healed and it is not God's will at this time, for reasons only He may know at this time, this shunt may not take.  Certainly we want this shunt to take, and it will be difficult for us if it does not.  It is not easy thinking of her having to go through another round of treatment.  But if it does not take, and she needs further treatment, we will seek that treatment and I hope that effort will be coupled with continued faith in a God who is aware of her circumstance, who is aware of our (and many others') pleadings, and who will send the comfort and assurance He has so often sent previously.  I know He will.  I know that He loves each of us, especially a little girl such as Brooklyn who continues to bless so many lives as she helps all of us turn more earnestly to our Heavenly Father.

Here is perhaps my favorite picture yet of Brooklyn, taken before she came home yesterday:

Thanks again for your continued support and faithful prayers on Brooklyn's behalf and on behalf of our family!