An altar of praise

Six weeks ago today--God intervened to save the lives of four precious girls.  And to show the world that He is mighty to save, that He hears and answers prayers, and that He is still in the miracle business.  Because He is God.

"Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me." (Ps.50:15)

"I love the Lord, because He has heard My voice and my supplications.  Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.  The pains of death surrounded me, and the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me; I found trouble and sorrow.  Then I called upon the name of the Lord." (Ps.116:1-4)

"Jacob said to his household,... 'Let us arise and go up to Bethel; and I will make an altar there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me in the way which I have gone."  (Gen.35:2-3)

     Just a few of the verses I just read from this morning's Daily Light.  Again, God reminds us of His faithfulness, His goodness, His power, His grace, His provision,  His mercy... and that all is for His glory.  That He would be glorified and that we might glorify Him.  Jacob made his altar at Bethel; I make my altar here: to praise Him for delivering us in the day of trouble.  To remember all the ways He heard our voices and our supplications and answered again and again and again.  To love Him for His continuing faithfulness in being with all of us "in the way" we are going, in this continuing marathon.
       Not just with Tessa and Janie, but with all of us, all of you who are fighting long, tough battles and running challenging, seemingly endless races.  He is with you in the way you are going.  Might we all continue to "call upon Him as long as I live."  For each day's provision.  Each hour's need.  Each moment's decisions.
     This is one of my favorite pictures from the ICU in Greenville.  Another reminder, an Ebenezer, of God's incredible faithfulness in every single moment's challenges.  The first 72 hours, the desperate prayer was sent out--pray for no swelling of the brain.  So critical.  And God answered. Praise You Lord.
     Then, no sooner past that huge obstacle, the next urgent request: please pray for her lungs.  Her right lung suffered damage in the wreck, and suddenly that lung really began to struggle.  Frightening stuff, and I can still feel the paralyzing fear as the respiratory team went into immediate action.  And God answered.  The lung slowly began to recover.  Praise You Lord.
     And then came the fever.  A high, seemingly out of control fever that again, left us breathless with fear and seeming helplessness.  This time, Russ and Creecy were right there with us in the room the first time we watched the fever tick up and up on the monitor.  So we prayed.  Urgently, beseeching the Almighty to lower her temperature.  But we also went into action!  Reminded me again of the "warrior marathon sisters" back in action--Team Fountain--praying and acting!
     Creecy and I began putting cold cloths all over her, waving the chilled cloth over her face.  And Russ, one of our church's pastors, well, you could just say this is a pastor who does it all.  That's him waving a bedpan (a clean, unused one, I might add) back and forth to send a strong cooling breeze all over Janie's body.  I can still feel the breath of air that seemed to feel the room.
     At the time, despite the fear, God gave us such laughter!  We prayed and waved bedpans and wet washcloths... and the grip of terror loosened and the temperature began to drop. (And I had to take a picture.  We need to remember moments like these!)  Praise You Lord.
     And God was glorified--in the answer to our desperate cries and in the joy He gave to His fearful children.  True joy in Him--again, you can't explain it: joy in an ICU in the most desperate of times.  Yet there it was--His joy, His peace, His power, His provision for yet another challenge in this long marathon.
     So, Lord, this is my altar.  Help me never to forget all the ways You delivered us when we called upon You. For six long weeks You have listened and answered and provided.  Thank You for hearing us all each and every day.  Thank You for loving us.  Thank You for forgiving us.  Thank You for saving us.  Thank You that You are with each of us in our daily battles and our hardest challenges.  And thank You that You are a God of JOY!  Joy even in the midst of the sorrows and strains of life.
     And Lord, we pray and trust that You will be with us "in the way" ahead as we continue this marathon for Janie to recover.  And in each of our marathons--whatever challenge and crisis Your people are facing.  You are the God who hears and delivers and answers and heals and strengthens and provides all along the ways we each are going.
      "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits." (Ps.103:2)  Might we all never forget.  And might we praise the One who hears and who delivers.  To God be all the glory forever.