The Day of Rest

Psalm 139:15-18

New Living Translation (NLT)

¹⁵ You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
    as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
¹⁶ You saw me before I was born.
    Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
    before a single day had passed.

¹⁷ How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.
    They cannot be numbered!
¹⁸ I can’t even count them;
    they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
    you are still with me!

These are the scriptures I prayed over Hannah Jane the first time I held her in my arms.  Just this week, on Ash Wednesday, I asked Paul if he remembered what happened 3 years ago - we found out that we were going to be grandparents again!  and it was Hannah Jane that was already being formed in "utter seclusion".

God knew that we would be in this place at this time before Hannah Jane was ever created.  He knew that Molly Coates and Curt Motsinger would be living through these gut-wrenching emotions before they were created "in the dark of the womb".  And He already knows what tomorrow holds for all of us.  He has prepared us for this time.  We talked about it at lunch today - Krista, Katie, Molly, Paul and I - how God had prepared all of us for this specific time.  How 6 months ago this would have been a fiasco, but He had already set the stage for all of us to be at the best place when this was set in motion. 

I am overwhelmed at the responses of you people praying!  I cannot imagine how people without "pray-ers" in their life get by...?  We have had the most wonderful peace today.  The Spirit moves around us and in us and He is being the "Comforter" that we snuggle up to. You know God is blessing us with peace when we can laugh and cry in the same conversation. 

I love picking up my phone and having a gamillion facebook posts of the blessed pray-ers.  So, keep it up! :)  As much as you have shared and reposted - please continue to do so.  

Paul and I could hardly get out the door this morning because we would check our phones for any last minute "bring me's" from the hospital - and there would be many more posts.  Of course we had to stop and read them right them - I would be in one part of the house and he in another - both crying our eyes out at the amazing and ultimate pouring out of love in each and every post.  How do others survive these difficult times without brothers and sisters that share from their hearts as you all do.  I really do pray that God will dump tons of blessings on each and every one of you.

The surgery is scheduled for tomorrow, Monday, at 11AM.  They will make a fairly large incision to carefully remove the tumor and her kidney.  She will also have a "port-a-cath" in her shoulder area to make her chemo treatments go much easier and smoother.  The surgery will last approximately 4-5 hours and her time out will be twice as long - so we are looking at 8 - 10 hours.  UGH!  Two year olds are not supposed to have tumors - the two are not supposed to be in the same sentence.  

To pray specifically - besides the obvious...doctors, surgeons, healing, please pray for easy removal of the kidney and tumor, and pray for no need for chemo and no more tumors.  Lots of peace and rest.  

Again, we are just overwhelmed at the out-pouring of love.  We will never be the same again.  Our prayer for you is that you realize "how precious are God's thoughts about you - they cannot be numbered!  You can't even count them - they outnumber the grains of sand!  (think about that the next time you are at the beach) and when you wake up - God is still with you - laying next to you in the bed - just waiting for you to open your eyes!" (my paraphrase)

We love each and every one of you - Blessings and Love - Paul and Janet Coates

Here is Hannah Jane - just last week - playing with Mamaw's phone!