We drove 19 hours straight to visit with my brother before he would have to head back to MD! Being with family can be just what we need at times specially to hug and encourage one another through the hard places we all experience. For my brother, that would be the loss of his wife over a year ago after a cancer journey and now walking with his 23-year-old son through Leukemia and a Stem Cell Transplant at MD Anderson. What we did not expect was the downward spiral my nephew’s health would take while my husband and I were visiting over the fourth. God gave us a whole day with my brother before he needed to get back to the hospital. His son had developed an infection. With the infection, his blood pressure began to drop until he was on three different blood pressure medicines and needed to be moved to ICU and later put on a ventilator to allow his body to rest to heal from the infection.

At first, we heard some very disturbing news. All of this would have been insurmountable if I had been 19 hours away. God’s timing always amazes me. He put my husband and me right there at my mom’s side to be with her. But God then gave us some encouraging news, which brought some relief from our suffering.

Even though we pushed our departure back a day, my husband and I had to make the long trip home. So now, I am far away, holding to the promises of God that He will never leave us alone (Hebrews 13:5) and that He will be our refuge and strength (Psalm 46:1).

While we live this life with so much uncertainty, we can be certain God has not left my nephew or my brother. And He still loves them with an everlasting love (Ephesians 2:4-5). Even though what we see taking place does not translate “love” to our finite minds and hearts, we must trust what the Bible says. God’s Word is truth, period (Psalm 119:160; John 17:17).

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.” Jeremiah 31:3, ESV

Please continue to pray for my nephew, Dylan’s healing and my brother, Jeremy as he stands by! We are holding on to the only certain thing we know: God’s faithful love to do what is best!

Update from my brother at 5:38 pm, 7/11/2022: Dylan has become a little more responsive today. He is slightly nodding his head yes and no to a few questions.