How You Can Pray

I envision that even in this difficult time, this is what heaven will be like when it comes to people surrounding each other in love and prayer. Though in heaven, we won’t have to worry one iota about pain, tears, and suffering, but it’ll be everyone coming together for everyone else. And you know what, we get a glimpse of that right now.

I thought it would be helpful to give a little list of ways you can pray for us, as that is the most tangible thing I’ve been able to express that we need. I am working on a list of even more tangible ways to help, but this has all been so new, that we had to live a few days through it before we could start to come up with a list. That will be coming soon.

If you are feeling led to pray, here are some ways our hearts would be blessed and God’s heart loved by our desire to communicate with him.

1. Healing. Seems like the most obvious, but it’s the one that requires what feels like, the most faith. This is going to be a journey and God’s miraculous power will have to come out. And I firmly believe it will and I want to wake up each day with that hope. Leukemia is curable (the kind I have), but the journey there will be hard. So healing not only in the physical sense, but in our broken hearts and minds as we digest this all.

2. Acceptance. I’m still in a bit of a denial stage, but I need to accept this new chapter God has led us to in our story. I need to accept that I will start to feel sick and that is hard to even comprehend after battling heart failure. But the more I accept leukemia, the more I accept God’s workings and ability to see him working in my life.

3. Emotions. Words can’t express how hard this is for our family. When Dan and Mazy left today, we all were a wreck. Nothing can prepare you for that moment when you see your family unit leave and break apart in a physical sense. The tears were many and the weeping heavy. But we made it to the next step. Being apart means Mazy can continue going to school. Please pray for her as her little mind was not made quite yet to process these types of circumstances and emotions. Just tears me apart to see her mind and heart try, but if I can’t, how can she? Dan and I still cry a lot, but it’s more situational, rather than for no reason at all.

4. Share our faith. Pray that we won’t miss an opportunity to give God the glory through this. Pray that we can be raw, vulnerable, open, honest, and share our deepest struggles, but to always point to the Light who will guide us in the darkness.

5. To see hope and gratitude. I need to keep forward thinking and recognize that God knows exactly what will happen and we just have to trust the process and see the blessings in between. God doesn’t give us trials without weaving in blessings. Easier said than done, but boy does it change your mindframe.

6. Finally, for minimal side effects. There is a chance that I could “breeze” through this without getting really sick and I want to believe that God will allow me not to. So I’m just going to take it a day at a time. I will start to feel off starting days 5-7, if not a little earlier, but they have meds that they consider “rescue” drugs that can counteract any side effect I have. So Kristin just has to be honest! It makes me a little nervous that I have to be hospitalized to deal with them and this is common protocol, so hopefully I can “breeze” through this!

I’m sure more will arise, but we want to try and communicate what is happening and what we need prayer-wise as much as we can. The burden surely doesn’t feel nearly as heavy and God knew we would need you all to carry us to him. We love you all!