Sometimes the hardest days can be the most rewarding days

I'm pretty sure that anyone out there that has been reading Luke's blog for a long time can agree with me in saying that life with Luke is often hard and challenging, but it is also rewarding and a huge blessing. Gordy and I often say that Luke and the word "easy" don't ever go in the same sentence, it's the truth and nothing but the truth. I would also hope that if you've been reading this blog for many years you would also say that I try not to be too negative, it really does go against my nature to be negative, I'm usually a pretty positive person, though there are times that in "keeping it real and honest" that's almost impossible to do.

Yesterday was one of those days that was very hard, but at the same time rewarding. I think I mentioned in a previous post sometime ago that I was asked to be on the Family Partnership Council at Mary Bridge Children's Hospital in Tacoma. If and when Luke has to be in the hospital, Mary Bridge is in my opinion is the best place for him to be during those necessary visits. Part of being on the Council is sharing at staff training meetings, I have had the opportunity to share at 3 meeting for the nurses on the medical/surgical floor and then yesterday I shared with the nurses and RT's from the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

I had a feeling that this was not going to be easy and I was right! It was extremely hard to go back to the days that Luke has spent in the PICU, remembering so vividly the first night we spent in there is like asking you to remember your worst nightmare. At all these meetings I was asked to share a time when I felt like our family/Luke's emotional needs were met and then share a time when I felt like they were not met. I was shocked to learn that one of the nurses still checks up on Luke's blog sometimes and she remembered in detail like it was yesterday when Luke was in the PICU. It just goes to show you, that you never know who is keeping up on your blog/life, it's humbling and scary to think that people care enough to continue to follow along with us on Luke's journey. I feel pretty confident that the impact of my sharing our families experience at the hospital, well hopefully make other families that stay at Mary Bridge even better than it was before, at least that is what I hope to be true and why I got involved on this council.

One other thing that has been really hard to do lately is ask for people to help share my vision in what I'm wanting to do for the Mom's that are coming to the PONDS retreat in October. This year people don't seem to be as receptive as they were last time and I say to myself of course Sue, people are having challenging times right now just making ends meet in there own homes why would you think they would have any extra to share for this retreat. So far God has put it on some peoples hearts to share what they can and we are now at about $500 raised, which is just enough to pay for the food, some of the gas costs and the house maintenance/maid fee.

Here's a picture of the Mom's that came last year to our POND's retreat
This year we will have 5 new mom's to add to the picture:-)

In the past 7 years of writing this blog Gordy and I have tried to make it clear to people that God has and continues to bless our family and even though our medical costs can be out of sight some months, they have always been paid on time. I really do believe in my heart that it was God who laid it on my heart to put together this retreat and when God calls you to do something He ALWAYS supplies the means to do it. Therefore I guess the only reason I asked for help from y'all was to allow you to share in the blessings you would receive by giving to this retreat that was started to bless these mom's that live in EXTREMELY hard circumstances. I realize that I am one of the mom's benefitting from the retreat therefore some of you may of thought it was selfish for me to ask for money for myself to have a fun weekend away, but really that was not my heart.

I say all of this not to guilt you into giving towards this retreat, but to help you see my heart in asking you to share this burden with me. I have no worries that God will provide the money, He always does! Truly the greatest thing you could do for our retreat is PRAY, please pray for the mom's to have peace to leave their "fragile child", please pray for them to find the rest that they so desperately need, please pray for their families to stay healthy, especially their child that has suffered the near drowning accident, please pray for their finances to come in to pay for their airline tickets to get there, please pray that we will be able to encourage each other and give each other the hope that we desperately need to get through another day, week, year, just please pray, it's the most important thing you can do for us moms!

Love in Christ,
Luke's Mommy Sue

PS Luke goes in for his GI ultrasound tomorrow, please pray that all will go smoothly and that they will not find anything wrong. Luke also starts back with one of his all time favorite OT's tomorrow afternoon who was transferred to Mary Bridge hospital a year ago, so it will be a very full day of appointments. I will let you know soon how things turn out.