Back to Macon

Yesterday we drove to Macon for Shea's follow-up appointment with Dr. Carey who performed Shea's facial reconstruction surgery. The waiting room was crowded so Shea found a seat next to a young girl named Portia. Soon the girls were talking back and forth as if they were old friends. Portia has been struggling with seizures, and so the girls exchanged their stories. After awhile, Portia was called to her examining room and we to ours. Pretty soon sweet Portia came in our room with her Bible and asked if we could show her the verses Shea had been sharing with her. She placed her Bible on the examining table, and I watched as two girls desperately struggling in different ways leafed through the pages of God's Word for comfort. The comments from the last blog have been a huge encouragement to Shea. Since her eye is bothering her still, she asks us to read and reread the blog to her! Shea understands your concern for "flinging" Bible verses at her, but she says, "Bring it on . . . it's what I need." Thanks, Karine, for sharing Isaiah 49 with us. We thought it amazing that a message Shea's grandpa preached a year before she was born would be used to bring comfort to his granddaughter almost twently years later, long after he was gone. He makes "mountains into roads . . . and the roads will be raised up."

Dr. Carey examined Shea and saw that things were moving along slowly. Shea was hoping that he would get all excited, and say, "You're going to be fine -- all the nerves in your face will soon come alive and you'll be your old self again." But that wasn't the case. Shea asked him, Will I be myself again?" He responded, "You are yourself, Shea." He reminded her of what she had been through, and said that we have to keep waiting -- maybe months but there is no promise that all the nerves will come alive. She began to cry and said, "Dr. Carey, a lot of who I am is my expression." He again reminded her that she is herself and can show expression, just not maybe as much. So we reminded Shea that this is where we exercise faith. The doctors in ICU told us that when Shea awakened, because of the blow to her head, she would not be herself -- maybe for six months to a year. That was not the case. Miraculously, and by God's grace, we do not have to wait for healing in her brain, but God has allowed us to exercise faith in other areas.

Being a pastor's kid, Shea has been concerned that all of you "bloggers" be encouraged as well! All you PKs out there will know what we mean! The last few days have been shadowed -- loss, uncertainty, pain. Shea mentioned last night that she wants to be honest but doesn't want to be a "downer" to all her friends (new and old) and family. "But I should be honest, shouldn't I? . . . so they know how to pray."

Last night Shea watched the DVD of Mike's funeral for the first time. From the very first frame where she saw Mike's casket with the beautiful spray of red flowers, she began to cry. "Oh Mike." We all gathered around her and experienced the service with her. The reality is setting in with all of us now (seven weeks later) that we are out of ICU and Shea is stable. Shea was nodding along as different people shared about Mike's life. He loved Jesus . . . he loved his family . . . his friends . . . was a friend to the friendless . . . loved his music and on and on. She cried and smiled as Luke and Blair hugged each other. Her heart went out to Kyle who lost his only brother, to Deborah his sweet mother, to Billy (as Shea calls him), Mike's dad whose heart is as big as the world and to dear Anna, Megan, Emily and Katie. So, honestly, it was a dark night for us -- Shea finally drifted off to sleep at about 3 this morning.

It's early afternoon now, and Shea is still sleeping. We called Pathways, where she is in rehab, and asked for a day off. They wholeheartedly agreed that this was the best rehab for her today.

Thanks for hearing our hearts. "Joy comes in the . . .afternoon?"

Our love to you --

Steve and Susan