Sunday, January 20, 2013

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."  Jeremiah 29:13
 
"The night before party!"

My spirit is restless today, yet I have seen the Lord and HIS glory everywhere I looked this week from the snow that made a little girl from Uganda smile, to the strangers that we meet that went above and beyond to care for her.  I know in my life time, I have walked past people in need.  I may not remember a specific incident but because of my nature to be prideful, self sufficient and the fact that I worship the idols of time, money, etc., I know that I have.  The caretakers that the Lord sent for Shamira this week did not walk past her but served her as the hands and feet of Jesus eagerly and intentionally.  It was a privilege to witness the way they loved her and cared for her.

Monday night was a fun night.  We gathered at a restaurant and celebrated the fact that God brought two children from the other side of the world to heal their bodies.  I dreaded what was to come for Shamira even though I know it's the way to healing.  I knew that she didn't comprehend what was about to happen but she trusts us.  We trust her doctors.  I don't take trust lightly.
"5:00a.m. going to the hospital"

"After her I.V. with a little something to help her 'wait'..."

The next morning, the physical healing would begin for Shamira.  She has been with us for 8 months.  It feels like she has been with us for 8 years.  God has woven our family.  It feels normal for us to be together.  I don't remember what it felt like not to have the Ugandan children here.  So, this week we started Shamira's surgeries...the first of many.  We knew that this would be the most challenging one.  She had three amazing doctors.  Each one of them came in and spoke to us as we waited nervously for the "healing to begin".  As I thanked them for helping Shamira, they humbly told me there was no need to thank them.  They said this is why we wanted to be doctors.  This is why they went to medical school.  There was no health insurance.  No compensation to them at all, just our eternal gratefulness.  It seemed  everyone wanted to meet Shamira, like she was a famous person.  They knew she was coming and today was the day they had prepared for her.  These same doctors that operated on her, operated on world class athletes the same day.  But, it was obvious to me that every nurse and every doctor that came in contact with her knew they were treating ROYALTY when they saw Shamira.  She is in fact royalty because she is the daughter of the KING... so, Laurel got her a crown :)

"We had the BEST nurses!"
When I saw her lying in her bed after surgery, I cried.  She was waking up from the anesthesia and she seemed agitated.  She looked fragile but she is the strongest person I know.  After 8 months of living with this child of God, she is part of our family.  When she hurts, I hurt and it's fair to say her daddy hurts too.  She had asked me earlier in the week, "When we cry, does Jesus cry?"  What a great question!  I knew she was seeking HIM.  I couldn't help her but her Heavenly Father could and HE did.  I took her hand, knelt down beside her bed and we prayed.  As I was holding her hand, petitioning the God that brought her here to wrap HIS arms around her and comfort her, I felt her tense hand relax in my hand.  Her heart rate slowed down as she "trusted"... not in us or the doctors to heal her but in God, the great PHYSICIAN to heal her.  Shamira increased my faith in that moment.  It was sweet and unexpected.


There was not one nurse, aid, or hospital administrator that didn't sever her well.  I have pictures of most of them with her.  Hopefully, we will get to be on the same floor with the same people the next time she has surgery but God is rapidly enlarging this child's territory.  I'm truly humbled to sit back and watch how people love her.  I believe they see Jesus when they see Shamira.  I hope she sees Jesus when she sees us because that's all life should be about... serving HIM.  People see hope, a miracle, compassion a humble person inside and out when they she her.  She hasn't asked for anything.  She doesn't want anything of this world.  She is a beautiful person inside and out.

"Physical Therapy for the first time"
"Getting Ready to go HOME!"

She will have physical therapy 3 times a week plus therapy at home twice a day.  They were able to get her arm about 90% of where they want it to be and they believe physical therapy will get her arm 100% in time.  She will see the doctor 2 times a week until her next surgery and that will be in about 4 weeks.  She is thankful to have this opportunity.  All she wanted was to "see the snow" (and we did) and then she was ready to "go home".  That's all she asked for.  She said she already had "everything". She knows what matters.
"Thank you Lord for the snow!"
I'm so thankful they kept her as long as they did.  I'm not a nurse and honestly, watching her heal is difficult for me.  I know God is continuing to refine me.  HE knows what I need to keep my knees at the foot of The CROSS and Shamira's healing will certainly do that.  I can't complain.  She's the one that should be complaining and she's not.  She's waiting on the Lord to heal her TRUSTING  that HE will.  HE will!
"Best Friends Forever"
Thank you for every message and card that has been sent.  We have read everyone of them to her and your words of encouragement really make her smile!  We are putting them in a scrapbook for her.

Our specific prayer request for Shamira at this time is that she won't get any infections, especially in her arm and also that she will eat.  (We are making her eat but she doesn't have an appetite yet.)  She wants to go back to school and we will see what the doctor says but I'm worried that she could catch the flu or a virus.  She needs to stay healthy for her body to heal from her surgery and stay healthy for the next one.



The scripture above is Shamira's favorite verse.  She learned it at "bible school" shortly after she got here.  She is seeking HIM with all that she has and that all that she is.  She has found HIM.  I can't wait for her to tell her story one day.  HE WILL/IS BEING GLORIFIED through her life!

Praising God From Whom All Blessings Flow!

Amiee :)

2 comments:

  1. I love your heart...I love how I can hear your heart in your words and I love how God crossed our paths:)

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  2. Amiee! Amiee! Amiee!Your heart is beautiful. Thank you for sharing both your heart and sweet Shamira's. I believe that your family is being more than a witness to all! Praise Jesus for the work He is doing, and Praise Jesus that you are willing to sharing of His wonderful miracle. Thank you so much! Praying for all of you!!

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