Christ's Welfare Amid Spiritual Warfare

Dear Prayer Warriors,

God brought us home from the hospital after four days. I meant to write but my ability to concentrate diminishes the more sleep deprived I am. Thanks for praying faithfully even when I am not faithful at updating you all. We were so tired. Anna came home with an oxygen tank for the nights. I’ll always have a little pep in my step during discharge days; I get excited about the betterment, God’s hand of healing being so evident and it marks the end of family unit separation. I love resettling at headquarters (home) it makes me happy because I know Anna is embracing her familiar, family things, routines, and uninterrupted sleep.

We have continued hardships and demands with Anna. This used to be a girl who slept through the night with no cords attached six months ago. Let’s believe that the Lord can restore such peaceful rest because right now she’s got the cannula on, the pulse ox, and a continuous night feed into the intestine. She’ll wake after about 2-3 hours crying needing suctioning or supplemental food. We have been short on sleep but we always make it a point to thank God for the sleep we did get rather than focus on the sleep we didn’t get.

In a way I feel this current trial more significantly than more medically dangerous ones because there is a spiritual attack intensifying things. Many spiritual warfare elements are compounded in this current storm. 

1. Temptations of various kinds are more frequent. Praise God that temptation is the opportunity to run to the Mighty Warrior who saves rather than the sin. I feel my mind is weak and rambling allowing me to laugh at foolish things or impulse buy the entire Little Debbie catalog. Even stuff that has been Christ’s victory in my life for ages tries to rear its ugly head. I go to Jesus and draw upon His past victories in me. He waits with me in the temptation and soon enough it goes away. 

2. I find myself in the heat of the moment believing lies that I know the Bible counters but the lie suits my mood better. There is only defeated when thinking I lean on my own understanding. I am eager to take my thoughts captive and assess its source then reject or accept it. 

3. In times of exhaustion in caregiving I find myself frustrated at Anna, feeling defeated as my suctioning/repositioning/drug administration only irritates her into a Cerebral Palsy extension and tears. In the past I would be overwhelmed like that and just stop and pray. But recently I get impatient, continue the task even though I should relent. The situation is basically me going on my own strength instead of crying out to God for His nearness. Anna will always have it harder than me that why I must gladly serve her. God has given me a memory verse to recite to offset that moment of frustration. So when Anna extends and is inconsolable, I say to the Lord: “You will keep the mind that is dependent on You in perfect peace, for it is trusting in You.” Isaiah 26:3

Please Pray:

-For Anna’s oxygen level in her blood to stay high 95% or better without supplemental oxygen.

-For her airway to be clear not needing suctioning, steroids, or the “shaky vest”

-For providers to all the benefits Anna qualifies for but we don’t receive (night nurses (we still have 5 nights without a nurse), for a respite care provider, a house cleaning, for the ramp for the van)

-For patience as we wait for God’s leading regarding Anna’s reflux. We need her to tolerate a higher intestine feeding before we can consider the Nissen surgery.

-For God’s holy, presence, Jesus’ imputed righteousness and the Spirit’s illumination of Scripture to keep me strong in the Lord for the fight at hand.

-For the family devotion time to be moved successfully after dinner time because our bedtime to-do list has become too long.

-For strength and gratitude as we wait. We wait for Jesus, for Anna’s healing, for every spiritual blessing, for our trails to conclude. 

Happy Mother's day,

Nic, Lindsey, Anna, Simon

Let It Shine Before All Men

Dear prayer companions.

Lindsey and I are juggling many schedules to care for both Simon and Anna. the communication piece is tricky, we have to remember that we are on the same team. She doesn't need to be a ball hog and I don't need to be a show off.

my work is helpful allowing me to keep my ringer "on" while on the sales floor, they allow me to leave early, and there is much empathy in the leadership. These are the days when my co-workers tend to ask me how i could be at work with my daughter in the hospital. In the words of the Newsboys "shine make'em wonder what you got." Its time to live out the gospel because I know who my burden lifter is and who happens to be in control of all things.

It is the church folk who have a ministry of availability towards us that shows me our unity in Christ. Simon has not only been taken care of which allows me to go to work, but they take him to chase after geese and let a cow to lick his hand. I get all these picture texts of Simon's world record-sized smiles. It's more than mercy on my family, it's glory unto God. There many more who have reached out to us to say " I can help." How can we get bummed out about Anna when so much love is knocking at our door?

 I only hope you prayer warriors know how valuable you are to us.The spirit world is just a present as the physical one. The impact of your prayers are not always apparent in the physical world; but i have faith that your prayers are vital to the dispatching of angels, the giving of wisdom from God, they help us see open doors, your prayers plead the mercy and blessings for Anna's benefit. You bring Anna to God asking for her healing constantly. Alleluia. As a father who feels limited in ministering to my non-verbal hospitalized child, your praying encourages my fathering. Your prayers are a labor of love may God reward you in His time with answered prayer and greater faith. May we all become people of prayer!

Anna had a rough night, her oxygen levels dropped to 83 while sleeping last night. there is still so much mucus present and her cough is still fatigued sounding (not as effective). She did sleep well though. The doctors put her up to 2 liters of O2. During the day she made up ground to the point that she was only on 1/4 liter of O2. So tonight is the test to see if Anna can punch her ticket home. They will put her on "room air" and see if she drops that low again. She had a good day and appears to be doing better with the antibiotics. No pneumonia, but congested. we hope to bring her home tomorrow even though she has a ways to go. They are thinking we will take a tank of O2 with us. Come Quickly Jehovah-Rafa!

Please Pray:
-for Anna to have a great night with no de-saturation of oxygen as she sleeps.
-for the sickness to be cast out, and strength renewed.
-for Simon to be done with the little cough that he has so Anna doesn't have to be quarantined once home.
-for Lindsey and me to remain healthy, patient and ready to do whatever it takes to escort wellness back into our kids.
-for wisdom regarding nutrition, when to suction, and when to consult doctors.
-for clever distraction techniques so Anna doesn't have to focus on how she feels always.
-for continued family devotions, personal study time in the Word, and eye-to-eye time with Lindey  

thanks again,

Les Currats

God is With Us

Prayer Warriors,

The Lord is filling our hearts with praise because our confidence is set on Christ even though our circumstance leaves us wanting.  We depend on Him, so we don't busy ourselves with anxious scenarios or schemes to bust Anna out of the hospital.

We are on our second day of inpatient treatment at the hospital for Anna's latest illness. She remains on oxygen and is sleeping lots. There has been a surprising development because Anna is not responding to the steroids. They cannot seem to put their finger on why Anna isn't improving while in the hospital.The docs don't think she has an infection but they cannot think of what else to try so we will try antibiotics this afternoon. The doctors suggest that maybe there are lacerations in her throat from too much coughing. Thankfully we know that the oxygen itself has been a benefit. I rest knowing that God knows exactly what's wrong with Anna.

So while we wait we read, sing, and pray. I read Joshua 1 about courage and strength through trust and obedience to God's Word. Lindsey sang "we're on our way to grandpa's farm." about ten times to Anna. But join us in prayer

Pray:

-That God would teach us and equip us through this.

-For the ailment of Anna to be found so we can have a plan for betterment

-For strength for Anna and comfort

-That Lindsey and Anna can get good sleep at the hospital

-For wisdom regarding my work schedule and care for simon.

I leave you with a chunk that was so sweet to me this morning:

"17 But let your hand be on the man of your right hand, the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself!
18 Then we shall not turn back from you; give us life, and we will call upon your name!
19 Restore us, O LORD God of hosts! Let your face shine, that we may be saved!  - Psalm 80:17-19"

Its all about Jesus,

Nic, Lindsey, Anna and Simon

Trusting Victorious Jesus Part 3

 Dear Forbearing Praying Warriors,

Our longtime friend recognized her words from my "Trusting Victorious Jesus Part 2" and shared this response: 
"My Dear Lindsey and Nic,
After reading every word of I Believe in Miracles; Here's Why...you can be sure that I am with you in prayer for the long haul and that indeed, my ability to believe in miracles has been strengthened and buoyed by this incredible testimonial.  I have actually read articles where Doctors have been quoted as saying that there was no medical explanation for what had taken place with a patient...that it had to have been divine intervention.  I think that we are all just wired differently when it comes to our approach to many issues.  I do tend to err on the side of caution...remain cautiously optimistic and other phrases that describe a person who is certainly open to anything happening, but just not willing to "bet the farm" on it!  Rest assured that your family will always have my undying love and support and as I have told you many times...I am with you in all circumstances.  I am so happy that you have so many people in your life who love you as I do and want nothing short of a miracle for Anna.  I understand that you trust that it will be on God's time...that he will deliver when he deems it to be the right time.  And so, I shall be waiting patiently, but hoping it will be sooner so that Anna's little life will be easier for her."

As Anna's parents God lavishes extra comfort on us as we fixate on Him as Jehovah-Rafa. His name is healer. Over the weekend my sister-in-law who has a gift of empathy sensed our heaviness in dealing with Anna's current sickness and asked all the friends she knew to share stories of God's healing. They poured in and I was blessed, mustering my praise afresh for the Lord. God does incredible things to ordinary sinners and saints. I'm learning that recalling what God has done isn't just good storytelling, it's praise -an act of worship. It wasn't long until my mind flooded with memories of miracles we have witnessed with Anna. I'll share just one of them:

"In the NICU Anna had seizures, we weened off the seizure medicine. for the following 9 months no seizure activity was found on EEG. Around her 1st birthday we found out she had Hypsarrhythmia (chaotic brain waves) a condition that always comes with infantile spasms (seizures). But I had believed God that seizures were taken from Anna so i was confused, my disappointment was huge in the moment. About a week later we do a 24 hour EEG, the Hypsarrhythmia was present but no seizures. The neurologist and his team were so baffled they asked us to stay another 24 hours to be sure... 48 hours later still so seizures. the Doc said "there's no literature on having Hypsarrhythmia without infantile spasms." Thanks to God there is now!" 

For those who walked with us through this, do you remember how tenderhearted this miracle was? By God's grace Anna still doesn't seize.   

Personally I love the account I believe in Miracles, Here's why because Felicia's injury was just like Anna's. God has made me joyful because I know of little Felicia. In Jesus' perfect timing Anna will be pain free and healed.

Please Pray:
-I write this as Anna is coughing incessantly, she sleeps in 30 minute increments then has mucus coughing fits, reflux will complicate things, her cerebral palsy too, and her Oxygen levels are still low. May this illness pass on, as we are entering the 9th day.

There is victory in the Name of Jesus,
The Currats

Trusting Victorious Jesus

Dear Anna’s Prayer Warriors,

I have much light to shed, God is breaking though our trials, wisdom is needed, and we have a hunger for miracles as we wait…

 

Anna is in the middle of another viral illness. Her last illness included a 5 day inpatient stay, and lasted longer than the March Madness Tournament altogether. These trials shape us no doubt; I can see how a fresh wave of dependence on God floods our family during each of her illnesses, which is grace. Anna’s respiratory ills cause large quantities of mucus to squat in her throat and sinus; she cannot manage then out on her own. I have sense of reluctance every time I flip that suction machine on, yet I know there are families like mine in an impoverished country that might not own a hospital grade suction machine.

We are headfirst in medical decisions regarding Anna’s reflux. The continuous feeds for 24 hours (up from 20) have eliminated nearly everything from going into her stomach. We feed Anna only 12 ounces throughout the day by mouth. Lindsey is carefully calculating new strategies to raise Anna’s immune system as a whole with vitamins and supplements. She calculates Anna’s feeding like a nutritionist, it’s impressive. All this has reduced the reflux from 40 times a day to about 10 Praise God.  It’s still about 10 times too many. We feel the Nissen Fundoplication surgery is the way to go. That comes with new possible problems.

We interviewed another night nurse in the hopes of having coverage three nights a week. There is such a shortage of these great workers; it’s almost as if they are the ones interviewing us because so many families need them.

May I be candid? The needs of Anna are across many fronts (medical, insurance, feeding, therapy, mobility, school, sickness). We are daily addressing an issue, Lindsey and I often see things differently, we are tired frequently. I notice myself clutching onto my daughter’s needs as something that I have to take care of, like it’s all up to me. Just last night I was acting like a helicopter parent with our night nurse, I was being all nitpicky about the angle of the bed and Anna’s positioning. So it comes down to surrender and trust. It seems that a callus has grown from all these circumstances that make me think on my wits and planning rather than dependence God.

To phrase it another way:  I see the cares of this life really taking over. I’m making reference to the parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:1-9 and 13:18-23. The worries for Anna’s wellbeing, the “care of this life” are significant servant ones. However they are literally snuffing out my time in God’s Word. And sure Daddy God gives me grace day after day. But in my heart I feel challenged to place my trust in Christ afresh regarding all things Anna and return to a guarded time in His Word. This might be stretching the parable but I need to be repotted:) 

Please Pray:

-For a return of study in God’s Word regularly (I want to minister God’s Word to people and be a man of prayer). Praise God we still have our nightly devotions as a family.

-For the Holy Spirit to remind me when I need to trust and pray thing off my plate.

-For a supernatural healing of Anna’s GERD eliminating reflux without invasive feedings or surgery.

-For the Rino Virus to be cast out of Anna and Simon, that her oxygen levels stay above 90

-For wisdom in choosing night nurses, when to return to preschool, and the various medical decisions especially about the Nissen Fundoplication.  

-For the letters of medical necessity to be approved by Medicaid so we can start new therapies and get a ramp for our van.

-For the complex schedule department to find dates for the things Anna needs done under general anesthesia.  

**Thank you for praying for Lindsey and I we continue to share our hearts together with increasing ease and joy, the date night was super!! People from our church watched our kids and another couple from church gave us a generous gift card for our dinner. How sweet it was.

Love,

The Currats

God's Wrath and Me

God is unleashing wrath on His creation out of necessity, not just because we’re bad, or because we need to learn a lesson, or because it was foretold, no it’s more: God’s wrath always contains the purpose to punish sin and preserve His righteousness. This wrath gives the illusion that God is wicked, but He isn’t because He gave us Jesus, the Lamb of God (wrath bearer).   This biblical teaching, that God is wrathful, is hard to believe if you reject Jesus.

Personally I see God as uncompromisingly holy because His wrath upholds His Word and affirms His non-compromise in judging sin. It’s fair because the righteousness required by God to be wrath-exempt is furnished free of charge by Jesus’ life crucified on the cross.

Even upon Christ’s Lordship in one’s heart, even after submission to God’s Word and even after many acts of service no saint stand exempt from God’s wrath. I go through God’s wrath though not as much as I once did. What can we make of this nasty wrath?

Historically God’s wrath is present via the plagues in Egypt, the flood, etc... It is also present in the future promise of the Lord’s Day when the whole earth is consumed in “the fire of My jealous anger.” But what does God’s wrath look like in this present time and day? An example of present wrath can be like a drinker who is given over to drunkenness. They seek after booze so much that God allows full-fledged alcoholism to reside and play out in devastating ways.

God does not call me to be an agent of wrath. Some like the police or military have that call on their life as permitted by God to uphold social order (which is a common grace to all). Then we can consider God’s wrath as it appears in nature like a natural disaster. It seems like only God is to blame for this destruction. My father died in an avalanche when I was a toddler and this misplaced feeling of anger toward God made me blame Him for the death of my father and made my childhood hard.

I think the right response in enduring the Lord’s wrath is humility mainly because of His omnipresence. Only a fool would say “I got this wrath.” God’s present wrath is an opportunity to open up to God “right then and there” and to give Jesus your burden. God’s wrath is too much to bear, or to handle solo. Ask for help, equipping, ask for time to pass, for the Holy Spirit to minister peace and wisdom through the suffering. Blaming God might feel good but it undermines His plan and purposes. We would be wise to fear God and depend on Jesus fully.

“Who understands the power of Your anger? Your wrath matches the fear that is due You.” Psalm 90:11 HCSB (translated many interesting ways check it out)  

Storming the Throne Room

Prayer Team,

My favorite side story in the whole “passion week” of our Savior is the washing of the disciple’s feet. I am so encouraged by the humility and servant heart of Jesus. In my guessing, He had to deny Himself in order to do this: His foreknowledge, His feelings, and His status. Jesus held His tongue as He held Judas’ feet knowing in hours Judas would turn Him in. The denier Peter reluctantly got clean feet as Jesus talked Him through it, reeling Peter in while keeping His emotions in check. Jesus chose to wash “doubting” Thomas’ feet as a teacher teaching a disciple rather than what was really going on: The King of kings, the King of Glory was washing the feet of sinners the day before He made atonement for all of mankind.

Please Pray:

This Thursday the 13^th Anna will have a procedure to install a GJ tube in the hopes of eliminating her reflux. Her existing G-tube will be replaced with two tubes one to the stomach and the other depositing in the intestine. This needs to be threaded with an x-ray video so we are talking potentially a large amount of radiation here.

-Please pray that it would be done with great skill   

and accuracy.

-With the least amount of exposure to radiation.

-that it would effectively treat Anna’s reflux as this is the last non-surgical treatment for reflux.  

We had a follow-up with Neurology about an EEG that Anna had last week. The test still showed Hypsarrhythmia with the absence of seizures. Our Doc said that the long term impact of these chaotic brainwaves will most likely affect her cognition. Lindsey then talked about observable “gains” (abilities/milestones) that Anna has done. They are few, even the Neurologist agreed. He dug through Anna’s past MRIs and found one that pictures a brain formation seemingly abnormal. He did not elaborate in case it is nothing, however he did order a one hour MRI under general anesthesia to get a better picture. He said that it could be a diagnosis different from the Hypoxic Ischemic event she had before birth.

-Pray for a peace that surpasses understanding as our minds are tempted to fear regarding another possible brain diagnosis.

-For courage to love and empower Anna to the fullness of the ability that God has given her no matter the gains.

-For the hypsarrythmia to be cast our and with it all the potential long term effects.

-for full healing because we are praying to the

Healer.

Praise God Anna started preschool last week at Fletcher Miller. It is a school exclusive to special needs people ages 3-21. It’s been around for 50 years and they have a program that we are very excited about that aligns with Anna’s IEP. The first day went poorly, Anna could not stop refluxing. The teachers and para assigned to her were glad to get rid of her and gave us a talking to like we didn’t know how bad her reflux was. We have gone two other times and have had much more success and time to talk things through.

-Please pray for Anna to not be distracted by her medical conditions while in school.

-For no reflux, or anything else that would make her undesirable to work with. We want her loved on there and not seen as a burden to be avoided.

-For our family to be available, attentive, and used by the God as a witness to the huge special needs community at that school; That we could articulate God’s story of His glory in Anna.  

Praise God for a date night coming up this Saturday night. Lindsey and I have really dug our heels in and become intentional with our time after the kids go to bed. We have focused on eye-to-eye time and rich communication. This has been a source of renewal and strength. I get the chance to improve my listening!

Great blessings in Christ,

Nic, Lindsey, Anna, and Simon.