Standing Perfect And Complete

My life is forever altered. I can't remember ever having been this busy at any previous point. And I wasn't exactly lacking things to do before.

Alia's surgery went well last Tuesday, but they said that her adenoids were abnormally large, and her tonsils were chronically infected. For most kids, the procedure isn't too terribly traumatic. They either bounce right back with little or no noticeable difference, or they take forever to recover and then feel and look like new kids. Alia falls into the latter category.

I rarely ever give my kids Tylenol or Motrin, but since the hydrocodone they prescribed for her doesn't help at all, I've been alternating the former two around the clock for over a week. I called today because she's still crying in her sleep at night, and they informed me that I have at least another week of pumping OTC drugs into her. She can barely talk, eats almost nothing, has to move her head strategically to swallow, and has such a bad earache that the medicine barely takes the edge off of it. Josh and I hurt for her.

After her surgery, I got Alia settled at home with Josh, (who got a paid day off by the way, praise the Lord!) and then headed out the door with Jordan to go visit my dad. I got there a little after 4:00 so there were no more time slots left. It was a struggle to get there, and I would have cried on the spot if I would have had to turn around and leave without even getting to see him. Thankfully, another sweet couple from our church had been there since 3:30 so we got to go in with them. God knew. He was transported to Shelby, MT the morning of his next visitation day. It was my last chance to see him for awhile. From there he will most likely be taken to Oklahoma City and then on to Sioux City. It's insane.

Jordan was a trooper during our visit, but as soon as we got out to the car he burst into tears. They didn't let up until we had been home for nearly half an hour. Josh and I loved on him and talked him through it, but it was so hard to see. When Josh asked him what made him the most sad he said, "I just know how badly Poppa wants to be able to spend time with me and play with me, and now he can't. But I don't hurt for me, I hurt for him!" My heart broke.

We then had to hurry to get to soul-winning on time. It was a good night. Not too many were receptive, but the ones that were more than made up for it. It was windy, and big dark rain clouds threatened the entire time, but we didn't see a drop of rain until we were safely in the car heading home. God is so good!

When I got home it was almost 10:00. I noticed Josh diligently cleaning up my kitchen and sighed with relief and thankfulness thinking that supper was completely finished. Almost immediately I was accosted with, "Mommy! MOMMY'S HOME! Mommy did you bring pizza? We're so hungry. When is the pizza coming?!" All thoughts of peace and thankfulness fled. I was NOT a happy Mommy. The last thing I wanted to have to think about after a day like the one I had just lived through was cooking food that late at night. I didn't even care that the house was cleaned up; all that I could see was everything that NEEDED to be done, but wasn't. And I was too tired to even care about handling things in a Christ-like manner.

So I sat down to check facebook. In essence, I checked out.

Through a haze of fatigue I noticed that my sister's status was counting down a big surprise. She had told me a few days before that it was a birthday party for her sister-in-law Hannah. I fleetingly thought it was awfully late in Tennessee to be having a birthday party, but....maybe that was part of the surprise. I didn't know.

Then my doorbell rang. The kids all immediately started cheering that the pizza had finally arrived. But, lo and behold, it was Amy and Johnny and all the kids! The tears that I had so bravely held in check the entire day came out in a torrent. What a wonderful surprise that was! She is so much fun, and I didn't know how much I missed her during all this until she was actually here.

The next day she and Johnny went with Jordan and I to visit my mom. Little did we know that we were about to see the answer to our prayers play out before our eyes.

As my mom walked into the room she was focused on me because I was sitting in the chair. When she saw Jordan her eyes then naturally went to Johnny and Amy. In complete shock her hands went to her face and she burst into tears. The guard was immediately at her side asking her if she was okay. She couldn't talk for a minute, so he patted her on the shoulder and went to get some Kleenex. When he came back he again asked her if everything was okay, and if he could do anything for her, and she was able to explain what was happening. Some of the girls were also coming over to pat her on the back or give her a hug, and ask her if she was okay. This all took place before she picked up the phone. We couldn't hear a word, but it was almost as if we could. It was awesome.

In addition to her roommate, my mom has had the opportunity to help two more receive assurance of their salvation, and has had ladies come up to her and ask her to pray with them before bed at night. One night there were 11 ladies in her prayer group! Her cell is upstairs, and in her usual happy, goofy way she skips and hops up the stairs each time, which never fails to draw curious looks. She doesn't do it for attention, but it clearly demonstrates her joy in action to others whom sadly have little to no hope themselves.

She has also learned how to curl her hair. For small curls doubled up strips of toilet paper are used. For bigger curls ~ toilet rolls. And for medium curls or ringlets...tampons. Necessity is indeed the mother of invention. Ha ha!

At night the prison sounds like an insane asylum. Women are crying, moaning, laughing hysterically, talking incessantly, screaming, arguing with each other, and the list goes on. During the day it's not much different, but occasionally during lockdown my mom is able to get a good nap. She said that she and the other older ladies alternate between wanting to wring the young women's necks and just wanting to give them hugs and some of the guidance they have so obviously been deprived of their entire lives. They have been very close to losing time out of their cells because of the foolishness of those girls. Even after dealing with that and the lack of sleep they cause my mom's voice still holds overwhelming compassion for them as she talks. I so admire her.

For some reason, she was issued new flip flops when she was checked in. Most women receive used ones so of course everyone noticed hers right away, and kept asking her how and where she got them. One lady in particular came right out and told her that she wanted them. My mom's first response was, "Excuse me?" So she repeated again that she really wanted my mom's shoes in exchange for her old grungy ones. My mom just laughed and went on her way, but every time she saw this lady she would ask for her shoes. The next day as she once again encountered her, my mom shook her flip flops off and handed them to the lady with a smile. With nothing short of glee, the lady put those shoes on, and proudly walked around the prison for days afterward.

Wednesday night, another young woman came up and asked if she could use my mom's phone card. She doesn't have a whole lot of time left on this one, and new ones are only issued on Mondays so my mom apologized, but said no. She went back to her cell for lockdown, and during her prayer time the Lord wouldn't leave her alone about it. Over and over again the verse went through her mind, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

As soon as she got back out, she found the lady and told her she could use it if she made it quick. She only talked for a minute or two, and profusely thanked my mom. Many complaints have been made about this young woman because she doesn't shower regularly, so as my mom was talking to her she very kindly and lovingly mentioned that it would probably be a good idea for her to take a shower so that she would be ready when her family came to get her, if that was a possibility. She asked my mom if she had any shampoo and conditioner she could use, and my mom more than gladly said yes and went and got it for her. My mom could see the relief and gratefulness in her eyes. She wanted to be clean, but she simply had no money. Not even enough for a bar of soap.

My dad has been doing well, too. Last Tuesday after his visit with us he was able to lead one man to the Lord, and then Wednesday evening he had the privilege of welcoming yet another one into the fold. He was so excited and said it was a piece of cake! Then next day, one of these men came up to him and asked him to show him from the Bible how he could conquer his pride. Together they studied all the verses they could find on the subject and it ended up being a great help to both of them. During that week he also regularly prayed and had Bible study with a Honduran man and a Native American before he was transported first thing Friday morning.

He was driven five hours to the prison in Shelby in handcuffs, so when he arrived his wrists were raw, and his heart was too. He immediately was introduced to yet another Honduran Christian man who proceeded to lay hands on him and prayed over him for an hour. He called me at 10:45 p.m. just after this to let me know where he was, and he was radiant with joy despite the dire circumstances. This prison is like a human warehouse. It's a metal building with a cafeteria in the middle and all the cells on the perimeter of the room. The only sunlight he sees is through the crack in the top of the heavy metal doors at the far end of the room.

The next day he introduced himself to a man named Javier. He has been saved for about two months and he is absolutely on fire for the Lord! My dad says he has never met anyone more hungry for God's Word. He can't get enough of it, and the two of them pray together for hours each day. We are praying with them that Javier will receive probation sometime in the next few weeks so that he will be able to come to our church, get involved, and grow in the Lord. He said he will be here every time the doors are open. One hour a week isn't enough for him. He would be there everyday if it were possible. His wife Jahna and I are playing phone tag right now, but I am excited to meet her and to be able to bring her to church with us as we await God's answer to our prayers. I'm not sure if she's saved, but we're praying for that, too.

Please pray with me that if it's God's will my mom will be able to go straight from here to her final destination. These state prisons are pits. I don't want to stand in the way of God's will, but for my mom's sake that's the prayer of my heart right now. And pray that my dad will not be transported to Oklahoma City, but will go straight to Sioux Falls, too.

My daily prayer for my parent's is that they will be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that they might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son; that they may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

I know this was long, but thank you all for caring enough to read this far. I have so much more to share, but I'm preparing for a business trip this weekend. I'll try not to forget anything in the meantime.