Day +100 - Still Joyful in Hope

Day +100.  It has now been 100 days since our precious Paige received a precious gift--literally the gift of life--in the form of a bone marrow transplant.  The complex, intense nature of transplant makes the first 100 days extremely crucial.  It in no way marks the end of the recovery process.  It's just a really good feeling to get to that important 'rest stop' on this journey--though I can't say we rest all that much.  This is a bumpy road we travel, and I am increasingly thankful for God's mercies we experience along the way.

Faith.  

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.   Hebrews 11:1

This journey is a difficult one.  From the beginning (Paige's initial diagnosis), we knew there were no guarantees.  There was not a real cure.  Our prayer was--and still is--remission.  Remission now, and remission 10, 20, even 50 years from now.  There are good days--days full of laughter (usually at something her brother is doing), chowing down on a favorite food she finally craves again, and just plain feeling good.  There are tough days--fighting headaches from necessary infusions, battling bone pain, and dealing with very slow recovery from the shortest of procedures.  Yet there is not one day without faith.  Some days that faith feels gigantic, and some days it feels as small as a mustard seed--but it is always there.  Faith in God's healing power.  Faith in His plan for our family.  Faith that He reigns above it all.

Joy.
My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to you...   Psalm 71:23

We have plenty of reasons to be joyful around here.  It may not always seem that way--especially when we are dealing with the aftermath of treatment Paige has received over the last 2+ years.  Some issues are simply a pain, and some actually cause pain.  Nevertheless, there is always a reason to be thankful, and there is joy to be found in every day.  Yes, it has come (more than one time) as great news from a medical team.  Today it comes from reaching the 100-day milestone.  However, there are so many other times it appears.  Joy shows up in my beautiful girl's smile.  It shows up in our gratitude in simply being home.  It comes in the form of decorating the annual bunny cake with Grandma--at our house, of course, because Paige isn't yet allowed to venture out.  We find the joy, and we thank the God who gave us that joy.  

Hope.

But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait...with patience.   Romans 8:25
But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more.   Psalm 71:14

It's an amazing gift, that hope thing.  Hope keeps us grounded and focused.  Hope helps us press on through the struggles of life.  God has plans for us, and those plans give us hope and a future.  Of course, times get tough.  Of course we are going to struggle.  Our family can attest to that.  We have seen some choppy waters, especially over the last six months.  That's when it became even more important to hold on to the tiniest glimpse of hope.  Romans 12:12, the verse by which we do life around here, tells us to "be joyful in hope."  And that we will.  Hope that our sweet girl's pain will subside and her bones will strengthen and be restored.   Hope that Paige will be healed from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.  It takes time, and it takes (a whole lot of) patience.  But I hope and believe with all my heart that healing is coming for this child.

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Easter is a time to celebrate our risen Savior.  Because He lives, we can face tomorrow.  There is this amazing hope He gives us with each new day.  Today, as Paige reaches the 100-day milestone, I get to see some of that hope sitting right across the room from me.  Pretty incredible gift, don't you think?

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.   Romans 15:13