We Are Not Forsaken

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;

2 Corinthians 4:7-9 (ESV)

As many know by now, my daughter has tested positive for COVID-19. She has been very sick for over 13 days now. She is the mom of eight children, some with special needs. 

For some, this virus is like the flu. For others, like my daughter, it is much worse. At this writing, she is not hospitalized as she is not requiring a respirator. 

Seeing so many people not taking the recommended precautions is heartbreaking when you are this close to it. My daughter has severe asthma, so this has hit her hard. Her daughter, our sweet grand, has sickle cell disease. She is immunocompromised, and we have been very close to losing her many times due to the common cold. This is very dangerous for her. 

Where did my daughter get COVID-19? We have no idea. She hasn’t traveled or been in known contact with anyone who has. It spread because people are not taking it seriously. 

We are so thankful for the hundreds of people who are praying for her and our family right now. The more prayers, the better. I have experienced so much kindness, caring, and generosity. I reached out to find masks for her family and myself (I am also immunocompromised but need to check on them) and have been on the receiving end of sacrificial giving. I placed an N95 mask on the grand who needed it most, and all the kids now have masks to wear. 

There are other amazing things that have happened that will remain unspoken and anonymous because God gets the glory. 

As you may also know, April 1st is the anniversary of our oldest son’s passing. My mama heart has barely handled the severity of my daughter’s illness, let alone at this time. 

I’ve been doing a lot of pleading with God, a lot of lamenting, and a lot of praising too. That’s the way of lament. Crying out to God in our distress and giving Him praise for who He is.

A friend sent me this verse yesterday. It made me cry for quite some time.

Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. Philippians 2:27 (ESV)

God is good! Even in this, there is so much beauty. God’s people come together in love and serve others. It’s a beautiful thing to witness.

NOTE: Since I first wrote this, Courtney seems a little better, but her hubby and son (14) are both sick. Her son also has asthma as do other members of our family. Keep praying for our family! We are praying for all of you as well.