July 4th, a date everyone in America knows and is excited to celebrate. It’s about Freedom, Liberty, Celebration, Food and Fireworks. But every year for me, it reminds me of a time where I was helpless, where I was scared, afraid and wondered if God really cared about me. My mom wrote a recount of this day 5 years ago. This day would forever change the course of my life.
“4 th of July 2013 I woke up to help mack get ready for his mission trip to Belize . I went to the garage to get work gloves for mack to take with him and when I came back in mack was on the floor in the bathroom. He was unresponsive so I called phil who was at the fire house. Phil called the squad to come and the next thing I knew they were there. They came in to help with a preconceived idea that this could be a drug overdose . The firefighters and paramedics were a little abrasive and I was confused as to why they weren’t just trying to figure out was going on. After a few minutes and questions they realize they were very wrong and tried to help mack. I went out to Mack’s car to see what the name of the medication he had been taking to go to Belize . When I came in he was having a full blown grand mal seizure. The firefights took mack out to the squad and took him to doctor hospital. As I drove behind behind mack I could feel such a complete fear of what this was going on with mack and my lack of being able to do anything about it. When he got to the hospital I waited on Phil and could not find the words to pray so I continued to say Jesus, Jesus ,Jesus. This brought comfort to me and gave me peace. The dr came in and said that Mack would be staying awhile until they could do test to see what may have caused the seizures. After 2 days they said that the test couldn’t find anything wrong and we could take him home. We decided that the medicine he was taking for malaria was the culprit and that we would do as the dr said and not give him medicine for seizures. Mack would be restricted to no driving for 6 months and we would watch him. Christmas rolled around and Mack was almost to his 6 month date when in the middle the afternoon mack took a shower and we found him 20 min later on the floor of the shower. This was a heartbreaker for all of us as our family tried to make the most of the rest of our Christmas knowing this would change Mack’s life forever. We then took mack to a new neurologist and a few test later that Mack had Juvenal myoclonic epilepsy. This diagnosis seemed like a jail sentence for mack and as his mother it broke my heart to see his future plans not what he had hoped for. But now I look and see that Gods plan are always perfect and that had mack gone on with his career and been able to accomplish what he wanted he may have never been drawn to the world race and have grown closer to God. Our goal for our kids was not to be rich or successful ( whatever that means) but for our kids to seek the Lord with all their hearts and love and serve others , and mack has done just that!”
After God took away Belize and I fell away from Him for awhile, I look at what I am doing today. 5 years later I am serving in Costa Rica. 5 years later I live with people who are like minded christians and who love the Lord. 5 years later I still have this disease but I realize just like Paul did, this was my “thorn in my side”. 5 years later I am doing more than I could have ever imagined. His ways are higher, my plans succumb to His will. Lord thank you for giving my Epilepsy.
“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.”
??1 Peter? ?5:10-11? NIV
Much Love and Happy Independence Day,
Mack
