The God of all Comfort

Prayer Request: On Monday 27th April Joseph will have a lumbar puncture to allow a protective chemo treatment of his central nervous system. Joseph has to fast for most of the day and then have the procedure.  As we have said before we are convinced that he does very well on these days due to your prayers. Thank you for praying for Joseph.

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After our last update Joseph had his lumbar puncture. It was a long day of fasting for him. Several times he said “Daddy, I’m hungry,” and I replied, “Well son, I am hungry too but we can have something nice in a bit.” Fortunately it never got beyond that exchange. Then in the last hour of waiting he climbed into my lap and fell asleep. Joseph awoke long enough to see all the medical staff just before he went under anesthesia.  This day there was an increase in the dose of chemo as Joseph has grown. I was reminded that though uncommon there was a risk of seizure. However, after Joseph woke up from the procedure he was alert and reminding me of my promise of food. A kind nurse provided a small portion of ice cream and Joseph was thrilled! Once the ice cream was done he was ready to go home and play with his brothers.

So we went home, and he immediately started running about with his brothers as Kate and I just stood there and marvelled. We could see a bit of the yellow/orange antiseptic (iodine), that covered about half his back, showing from time to time as he ran. You would never guess he had just  had a lumbar puncture.

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Now that Spring is here, Joseph really likes to be outside. He enjoys bouncing on the trampoline and we are so pleased to see the level of body control he is acquiring as he does this.

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In addition to bouncing and playing with his brothers Joseph also likes to do a bit of painting outside on nice days. I believe that Joseph was working on a mountain landscape this day, though you can’t see it from this angle.

Since our last update Joseph has been twice exposed to chicken pox and once to scarlet fever despite all the efforts we make to protect him from potential infections. However, none of these exposures developed into anything and we again thank the Lord for how He has protected and strengthened Joseph.

We often feel humbled by the tremendous level of grace we have received from the Lord. Then today we were listening to a message from the Bible that explained the super abundance of His kindness. God is a kind father who comforts us not only for our good but also for the good of others. Just as Joseph, when he was hungry and tired from a day of fasting could fall asleep in my arms trusting that things would be ok and receiving comfort from me even when his circumstances had not yet changed – so too are we to come to our heavenly Father and receive His comfort in our afflictions and sufferings. And His comfort is not just for us, but for the encouragement and comfort of others.

If you are suffering today, come to the Father and ask for His help. He is the Father of mercies and  the God of all comfort. 

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. 11 You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

2 Cor. 1:3-11

 

2 thoughts on “The God of all Comfort

  1. Thank you for the update on Joseph! We pray for him regularly. What a blessing to hear that he isndoing so well.

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