Heart of Beckett

UPDATE (10/13/13)

There’s really not much to report…..but that’s kind of how we like it! 🙂

Beckett is doing very well. We STILL have yet to start his physical therapy (which is extremely disappointing), but we are simply trying to wait patiently and do all that we can for him ourselves until then. Cognitively, he appears to be very sharp; it’s quite encouraging (especially if you recall the probable brain damage from his massive cardiac arrest after his first surgery on January 2nd)! Physically, he’s a little ways behind, both sitting up and such in addition to him not knowing how to eat.

On that note, we had our follow up GI appointment a few weeks ago…..and unfortunately have yet to hear back from them. As of this Wednesday, it will have been 2 weeks. We are a little bummed about that as well, but are hoping that no news is good news and the plan that they are coming up with will be perfect for Beckett’s continual progress. But if I could be honest, it’s hard not to grow bitter when there is a lack of communication and/or we “feel” that Beckett’s progress is becoming less of a priority to them (out-of-sight-out-of-mind). I’m confident that is not the case, but it can be challenging to maintain a proper perspective and good attitude all the time.

However, with that being said, every day with our son is truly a reminder of how blessed we really are. As you know, and as we’ve learned, life is not guaranteed…neither is tomorrow. If Beckett wasn’t enough of a “wake-up-call” to that end, this past week was. Loosing Leah’s uncle John unexpectedly was challenging to process. A great man, who took his last step down the fairway of a golf course at a fund raiser event for a man with cancer. It really makes you think about what is promised, and what is not. I know that as I look over my screen right now, I’m looking at my alive and breathing son, I have a lot to be thankful for. But I also know he is not guaranteed me, nor I him for another day. My son is a living miracle, a defiant of death, and a testimony of something much greater than us. I’m humbled as I walked Beckett around Taylor University’s campus this weekend for homecoming, and the countless people coming up to me asking if this is Beckett (many who I didn’t even know), and sharing with him that they have been praying for him. Those are moments and situations I genuinely doubted at times would come. And, honestly, it’s not as if I deserved them….they are a gift. I think all to often we cling to some faulty sense of entitlement with way too many things. And for us Christians, we even do this with our salvation. How prideful can we be to think we “deserve” anything beyond hell. Life is a gift. Friendships are a gift. Husbands, wives, daughters, sons, UNCLES……are a gift. We must be good stewards of all these things, and I, thankfully, have a living/breathing testimony of this. I, along with you, should be thanking God each day for these gifts, taking every advantage of every opportunity. Now, I’m no radicalist, advocating for us all to go checking off items from our Bucket-List beginning tomorrow…but I’m assuming you get the point. With even everything me and my family have gone through, I even loose sight of this perspective on a consistent basis. Juggling everything I’m juggling right now, I find myself developing a bad attitude about minor things like grad school papers, finances, Beckett’s exhausting care…..but then realizing that these are minor in comparison to magnitude of blessings I live in and through each day of my life.

I think I’m rambling at this point…but thanks for at least hearing me out (it can be therapeutic for me every once and a while).

I will conclude with requesting continual prayer and support for Beckett’s progress. We are eager for his PT to start, but are also excited and fully expecting a good report from another doctor’s appointment we will be having tomorrow. I won’t be able to go with Leah (…again), but I will be eager to find out how well it goes.

Also, please continue to pray for Leah’s family during this time of loss. I’m sure most of you either fully understand or can imagine what it is like to suddenly loose a loved one. They are a strong family, but this has been a tough year for many of us.

Thank you!!

“Take Them A Meal”
http://www.takethemameal.com/meals.php?t=ENMX4112

#GoBeckett
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