My sweet little brother

Ok so I know 2 LOOONNGG posts are overwhelming, but after these past 3 weeks it is very necessary. My brother went into the hospital at 1am Saturday morning the 23rd of January. He was suffering from severe septic shock and his extremeties were blue from the elbow down to his fingers and his knees down to his toes. He was in bad shape and doctor said an hour more and he would not have made it to the hospital alive. Apparently this had stemmed from a severe kidney infection they put him on antibiotics, but it seemed the damage was done. His kidneys began failing and they prepared to fly him to Vanderbilt where he could get better treatment. The outcome was unsure and we were all holding our breath.  Monday the 25th Adam and I held back the tears and went up to Jackson General to give my sweet brother what could have been the last kiss I got to give him. The hardest thing was not knowing what will happen and having no control over the outcome. I kissed my brother goodbye the morning of the 25th. I buried myself in my Bible and my family and I clung to this verse: 

"This I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." 

Lamentations 3:21-23

Gordon has made a miraculous recovery and we have gone from "I'm not sure if he will make it" to "he is coming home soon we just don't know when." During these crazy 2 weeks God's love and faithfulness have been shown to me and my family time after time. God has surrounded Gordon and us with prayer and sweet friends to love on us. Gordon continues to improve and there is hope on the horizon as we await the discharge date. Please continue to pray for the healing of his kidneys and that his sodium will lower so that he can come home to us where he belongs!!

This is written by my daddy... there's something about hearing it from a father's perspective that makes this so much different even to me:

  A week ago on Monday the 25th as they prepared to fly Gordon to Vandy I stood and watched as his bed was surrounded by all of his nurses and his teachers who have loved him for these many years. They had come for Gordon, not for me and Susan. Gordon's life has changed and enriched theirs in ways I will never know. I rode up to Nashville as Susan and Gordon flew overhead. Things did not look good and my mind drifted to what life would be like without such a wonderful young man who has fought every day of his life. If a service was necessary, I thought about the current stage design on our church stage, "The Good Fight," that would fit Gordon's life perfectly. Two weeks later, I am blessed to not have to think about that anymore for now. God has given us back our sweet son.