peace on every side

this past saturday we took brooke back to the group home. it was raining so badly when i drove her to the house. after caring for her while at the hospital and at home my heart only grew stronger and sweeter for brooke. i dreaded the day. the rain outside became the condition of my heart.

after getting her in the house, she went to her room, turned around, and began walking towards the door to go outside. i can't tell you how many times we redirected this so she would settle in on the couch or in her room. i pulled out books or movies to help her settle down, but she was began bitting herself and became verbally  upset saying, "i wanna be with mommy," or, "i wanna see mommy." needless to say, this only made the rain pour harder within my spirit. after signing information and sharing details, i walked out in the pouring rain not caring whether or not my clothes were drenched.

i got in my car and began praying for peace for her. i remembered a passage of scripture in II Chronicles 20:30 "the Lord gave them peace on all sides." i prayed that passage over her and drove away. thankfully we had plans to hang with friends for the day, so, once i got home we left. my heart was heavy throughout the day, but the Lord sustained me.

on sunday, i went to see brooke again at the group home. it was still raining in our area, but it was much more of a sprinkle. when i walked into the door brooke saw me, grabbed my hand, and walked me to the door yet again. i died inside. i wanted just to leave with her, but i knew she needed time to adjust and i needed time too. earlier that day at church, we had heard such an encouraging message about, "be still and know that I am God." he talked about the the word, "still" actually meaning in the Hebrew the idea of your hands being by your side. in the sermon he also mentioned the very passage i had prayed over her in II Chronicles 20. i was amazed, but at the same time i left assured that God indeed would give her "peace on every side." thinking on the message, i left the group home once again but this time...with a peace of mind and my hands by my side....knowing that He was God and He was at work.

Brooke has done really well during her recovery and she continues to improve behaviorally. We have heard she has little to no behaviors throughout her day. was it that she was hurting so badly before her surgery that she was displaying bad behavior as a way to communicate? who knows, really. i do know we are in good place with her, and that....gives me peace on every side.

thank you for your constant prayers and love. i once heard, "rich is the one who has a praying friend." Brooke is very rich!

update

Brooke got her staples out on Thursday. she did really well sitting there watching her favorite show. afterwards we treated her to a slushy.  apparently, the staples were very bothersome to her because she isn't so insistent on scratching her back.  Brooke has been off pain meds now for 3 days and seems to be ok with no pain. she's been very active, going on walks and pacing in the hallway. bill and I took her to fairhope the other day. she enjoyed the ride and the walk.  she finally slept longer than 4 hours last night. after going to bed around 8 last night so did I. we both slept til 3:00. she drifted a bit after that, but nothing to be excited about. her behaviors started picking up and I believe it kept her up and me.  we are still tackling her behaviors (slapping face). what a beast this is. this behavior is more bothersome for me than any other she has had because it targets the face.  Monday, she'll start going to school for a couple of hours to get her back in the swing of things. June 9, saturday, we will take her back to her group home. this will be a tough day.. prolly more for me than her. all in all, she is a trooper, a tough cookie and an amazing little lady. Thank you all for those that have been praying for us. thank you for the wonderful meals and sweet treats. all have been such perfect timing and a gift from God.