I don't know how you do it. A Response.

"I don't know how you do it."

We cannot tell you how many times we have heard those words in the last 3 1/2 years, especially the last 2 days. And over the last 3 1/2 years we have tried repeatedly to come up with a response that truly encompasses the real answer of "how we do it." Craig and I have discussed it several times and nothing really sounds right.

As we sit here, almost 24 hours after one of the scariest moments in our lives, I am again trying to figure out how to respond.

And it is simply...WE don't do it. HE does.

Who is HE? He is the Great Physician. He is the Wonderful Counselor. He is the Prince of Peace. He is the Almighty God, Creator of Heaven and Earth.

How does HE? If you really open your eyes, not just your physical eyes but the eyes of your heart, you can see how He does so many things. In our case, HE does this through massive things like facebook campaigns for prayer and small things like a hug from a friend. HE does this through family-like relationships with amazing doctors and nurses to a text from some unknown number on my phone. HE does this through the "right" devotional on the "right" day to an encouraging email from a far away friend I've never even met. HE does this by placing the loving, devoted, Christian doctors and nurses on our care team who not only say they are praying for us but we know actually do pray to an amazing hometown community who goes out of there way to support all of their citizens. HE does this through the prayers of sweet children to the sighting of a t-shirt with your name on it on someone you don't even know & floods of people you do know. HE does this by miraculously pulling the infection from a person's body to keeping a tiny germ away that we don't even know about. HE does this by instantly answering a prayer for peace and understanding to sometimes even physical, "I can see this with my own eyes" signs of a miracle. HE does this, WE do not.

So how do WE keep SMILES on our faces? If the last paragraph isn't enough, there's one more reason and its very simple...we choose too. Yes, it is a choice. A daily choice. Are there days when we don't want to get out of bed because it all seems too much? YES. Do we sometimes ask why? Most definitely. Are hospital couches our favorite places to sleep? Uh, that'd be a big negatory. Is it easy to repeat the answers to the 900 questions of the admit form in every single doctor's office and everytime a new doctor, nurse, nutritionist, lab tech, etc. comes on duty? No. Do we like to see the tears in our other child's face and know that he will be in, while very capable, someone else's care for an undetermined amount of time? Of course, not. But in all of that we, as a family, know that we only have one life on this earth and our purpose is not to feel sorry for ourselves and make all those around us miserable but to share love and happiness with everyone we come in contact with on a daily basis. But most of all, our purpose is to glorify God in EVERYTHING we do.

Are we perfect? Not even close. There are many things that we struggle with and I personally want to offer a public apology to those I have hurt when I forgot to make the choice to SMILE on a day where things were overwhelming. I know I have spoken unkind words, honestly, without meaning to most of the time. And in those times I did mean to, I hope I have come and personally and quietly apologized. If not, I will and please confront me if I haven't.

Have we always felt this way? Um, well I'll spare you the details but the short answer is no. While personally I have had a relationship with Jesus Christ since I was 8 years old, there have been times I knew He was there, I just tried to do things on my own and only went to Him when I "needed" something. He doesn't always have to use a dramatic, drastic situation to remind us Who is in control but to some of us that are slightly more stubborn than the rest, He can choose to.

(Stop: Do I think that He CAUSED Brynne to have a rare genetic disorder that almost no medical professional has ever heard of  just to bring us closer to Him? No, BUT I do know that He promises ALL things work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. And boy, do we know He has an amazing plan in all of this.)

All of this is to really to say again, if you ever wonder "how we do it?" The true answer is...

We don't, HE does.

Yes, it may sound like an overused quote you might find on pinterest or something you might hear from a pulpit. But we pray that through all of this YOU see HIM not us. For we are nothing without HIM. And I pray that some where, some how He has used us to make a difference in the life of just one person.

So...make the choice...everyday...to open your eyes and see how & what HE does for you. HE has His hand in every single moment and situation of every single day.

Make the choice...everyday...to see the good He has done before you look for the bad that all us silly humans have caused.

Make the choice...everyday...to look for ways you can give to others instead of how you can help yourself.

Make the choice...everyday...to let HIM do it and give Him the glory for it.

Make the choice...everyday...to SMILE.

because you never know who's life He'll use you to impact.

1 Peter 4:10