Counting Our Blessings, Part 2

When I wrote my last post, I thought I was finished. God had laid that message on my heart, but sometimes He does that to prepare us for what's ahead.

On Friday, March 9th, we started our day as any other day. We were planning on cleaning the church with another couple in the afternoon, and then planned to end our day with an enjoyable meal (with the couple who cleaned with us). However, God had other plans.

I received a call at about 11:00 a.m. that the couple's niece, Ruth, was in the hospital again. She was born with diseased kidneys, and was on dialysis as well. I told E. that we could do the cleaning of the church without their help if they needed to go to the hospital. She didn't think she was needed at the hospital, but was unsure at the time. My husband came and told me around 3 p.m. that Ruth had taken a turn for the worse, and M. & E. went to the hospital to be with the family.

Ruthie's condition continued to worsen. Her heart stopped beating twice in the evening, but they were able to resuscitate her. Saturday morning we learned that her heart had stopped again in the night and they resuscitated her again. However, her blood had become "septic" which means that it was full of toxins. Her blood was causing all of her vital organs to fail. The outlook was not hopeful, the doctors could not do anything for her condition. They basically told her parents that there was nothing they could do, death was inevitable. She passed away at 1:35 p.m. on Saturday.

She lived 1 week short of nine months.

Yesterday, at church, her father told us this, "Thank you so much for your prayers. I am very thankful that God gave Ruthie to us, even but for a short time, I was honored to know her and to be her father. Ruthie has been through so much in these past few months. Now she has no pain, she is not sick anymore, she has a perfect body without disease..."

Ruthie's life, though it be short, touched every life at our church. We are thankful to have known her, and yet amazed that we were able to know her for so long.

What happens next? Only God knows. But please do one thing for Ruthie, give your children a great big hug & kiss, and let them know how much you love them. Let them know how blessed you are to have them in your lives.

If you have no children, let your family know you love them, they may be all you have. God has given us our family for a reason, else we would be alone. No family? What about your church family? friends?

Our blessings are many, and if you look hard enough, you can see them all around us.

Have a Blessed Day in the LORD!
Heather