Christopher and thoughts

Many of you have been following the 'adventures' of Christopher.

You remember him.

He is the little boy who had a heart transplant shortly after birth and then a renal transplant when he was about two --

And now he is wearing glasses !!!

Eye glasses? Yes.

Here is the latest update (May 6 / 2012) from his Caring Bridge site that tells about his glasses.

But even more important than his glasses (and his continuing treatment for a virus and etc) are the profound thoughts by his mother, who wrote the update, about what is really important in life and how to 'cope' with one's problems.

So, with that by way of introduction, here is the update from Caring Bridge:

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Written May 6, 2012 10:04pm

Hello Everyone! Shannon here. I feel like I am taking a breath between all my trips to Portland. It is crazy how Christopher’s schedule started to slow down back in February. We were at the point where he would have monthly office visits and monthly labs and then all of a sudden the BK virus reared its ugly head. I have driven back and forth so many times these past few months I am beginning to notice little things along the highway. And I can tell you it’s about time someone painted the trashcans at the rest stop just beyond the Santiam River.

Seriously I am road weary and will be glad when Christopher’s body eradicates the BK virus and he no longer needs the anti-viral medication. These weekly appointments are trying—Christopher has poor access in his little veins so placing a temporary IV is so difficult every week. The hospital’s transport team is called in because IV therapy hasn’t had the best success. Last week the entire process of placing a line took over two hours. Christopher and I were both exhausted by the end of it but his day was just starting. He had another 3 hours to go for the medication infusion. We didn’t arrive home until 7 pm.

The words of the nephrologist still ring in my ear, “Patients who get the BK virus need 3-4 infusions and then they are fine.” That was said back in February. I lost count of Christopher’s infusions somewhere after number 12. But his virus levels have decreased dramatically in the last few weeks and I believe there is an end in sight--perhaps just 1 or 2 more infusions.

I took Christopher to the ophthalmologist a couple of weeks ago for the first time and Christopher has a number of issues going on with his eyes. He is able to use his eyes together at close range but once you get a few feet out they are all over the place. We kind of joke around the table, “Who is Christopher looking at?” because one eye is looking at me and the other eye is looking at daddy. He has significant astigmatism which means his eyesight is blurry all the time. So Christopher needs glasses. The hope is that once he sees more clearly his eyes will begin to work together for distant vision.

We received his glasses on Friday and they are too cute as you can see from the picture. Once we slipped them on his little face he just looked around and around and around. I’m sure it was amazing for him to see things clearly—no more big blurry world! He doesn’t try to take them off—they don’t seem to bother him. So now he looks just like Sissy and Daddy with his stylish glasses.

The ophthalmologist also said Christopher can’t seem to elevate his right eye—he can’t look up toward the ceiling. He was not exactly cooperative during the exam so the doctor wasn’t definitive in her diagnosis. There aren't any big issues; her main concern was the astigmatism and glasses. Christopher will wear his glasses for two months and then we will reassess how his eyes are doing.

Christopher is finally starting to babble—ma, ma, ma, di, di, di, ba, ba, ba. We look forward to new sounds coming forth out of his mouth. He has really started growling a lot especially at women! We took him to church a few Sundays ago and every female who came within 10 feet received a hearty growl. The men? Lots of smiles and happiness. I started thinking about it and realized that almost all of his doctors (nephrology, cardiology, infectious disease, ophthalmology) are women. Add in his therapists and nurses who are for the most part women and there you go—Christopher does not like women! (Yet!) (Except for Sissy and Mommy!)

As the weather warms up and cold and flu viruses go away I can get Christopher out more around my female neighbors. We need some positive experiences! Perhaps I need to go out and buy a copy of Good Housekeeping and start working with Christopher, “See the nice lady making supper? See the nice lady decorating her living room? See the nice lady holding the baby?”

The last few months have flown by but there have definitely been days that have dragged on. The endless cold gray days cause me to grumble. I’m stuck inside or I’m driving through miserable mist to Portland. Another week goes by and my life seems stuck—unaltered, the same repetitive schedule. I want sun, I want a healthy boy, I want change. My mind is drawn to the life of Paul and his letter to the Philippians.

Paul was a prisoner in Rome when he wrote to the Philippians. His life was at stake, he had no freedom of movement, no comfort, probably very few visitors and yet he wrote, “Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am (4:11)”—a simple statement that puts me to shame. There is such confidence behind that statement—a confidence in a loving, sovereign Father. Paul’s circumstances really mattered very little to him. He continues on in verse 12, “I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.”

Isn’t it our tendency to mutter our contentment to the Lord? “Well, I guess this is life for me. It’s not going to change so, Lord, help me be content (sigh).” And then we mope around for a few days or weeks until we finally become resigned to the fact that life isn’t going to change.

Paul’s mindset was completely different. He was not frustrated with the events in his life. Again his comfort, his circumstances mattered little because he knew his Lord, he trusted in God’s Providence. God can make anything happen. “Even from eternity I am He, and there is none who can deliver out of My hand; I act and who can reverse it? (Is 43:13)” If God wanted it to happen, it would. God is in charge of his creation. And Paul had full confidence in God’s sovereign care.

Paul was not panicked over his upcoming trial, he was not whining about his circumstances, he was not depressed, not angry, not bitter. He was content. His basic needs of food and clothing were being met and his singular focus was on the spiritual aspect of life, not the physical. Paul wrote to the Colossians, “Set your mind on things above, not on the things that are on earth for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”

Our culture thrives on meeting the physical needs of life, right? We not only need a new car, we need a nice set of bath towels to match our newly painted bathroom, we need that monthly facial because “I matter!”, we need an updated phone, the latest IPad, we need a new grill cover, we need whitening toothpaste, we need a better house, a better job, better health, better…and the list goes on. The physical influence dominates daily life and the more we have, the more we want. Quite simply, our needs are never met.

It is a battle to walk through life with spiritual eyes. We want comfort, we want ease, we want to be rescued from every hurtful event. If we can’t control life around us, we easily become discontent.

But as Christians, when we find ourselves in such a place, we know our heart is amiss. Our eyes have wandered and lingered on the physical world and we are seeking happiness in a place where true joy and happiness cannot be found. And our only response can be repentance. Not resignation—repentance.

We were not created to do our will. We were created to do His will, in His time, in His place whether that is in a prison, a hospital room, a good neighborhood or a bad neighborhood, whether in sickness or in health, whether with limited ability of full ability—all for His glory.

Paul adds in verse 13, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” God enables me to live a contented life in any and every circumstance and my discontent only reveals my utter selfishness.

For months our carpet was in sad shape. Christopher had spit up on it, his feeds had leaked out from his feeding tube so many times there were little tracks of gray crisscrossing all over the living room floor and the children had tracked in all sorts of dirt. I could hardly walk into the living room and not grumble. My attitude was actually affected by a dirty carpet.

Well, the story doesn’t get better. I finally told George, “I can’t take it anymore! We have to have the carpets cleaned!” He was in total agreement (you know the old adage—“If mamma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy”). So the carpet man came and he did an excellent job. I spent the whole day admiring my clean beautiful carpet. I was so happy I just smiled every time I looked at it.

The next morning I woke up and walked downstairs, again smiling at my beautiful carpet. I took the children to school, came home, fed Christopher, sat and read him books on my beautiful carpet, turned away for a moment and then heard Christopher spitting up all over my beautiful clean carpet. I looked down at the big yellow spot and thought, “Oh well—such is life. Nothing lasts forever.”

So true, huh? The physical world is passing away but a new heaven and new earth await His children. And in that day we will rejoice because "the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them, and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain."