Gods Lessons

I finally can type with two hands again. I can’t lift anything for two weeks but that is ok. I just boss Julie around. Just kidding, but she is always very helpful. On Wendesday I had surgery. The surgery that I had is for a fistula. A fistula is a vein in my arm that is tied off so that it gets more blood to it. They then can use it for dialysis. The blood flows much better than the port that I have right now, so I get much better dialysis. The port I have right now is in my chest and goes to one of the veins in my neck, while the fistula is in my arm. It is kind of weird getting used to this fistula in my arm. It vibrates, it’s really weird. If see me some time ask to feel it. You won’t believe it. It’s in my arm and I can’t believe it That is not really what I was going to write about this time though, I just thought I would give a little update.
What I really wanted to write about is hardships. You guys probably know that Julie and I have been through a couple rough things lately. Julie and I don’t really think of it like that most of the time. We kind of think we are normal which is a farfetched reality most of the time. I told Julie the other day that I couldn’t think of anything to write on the blog anymore. I said it was because nothing ever happens to me. The she reminded me I was in the hospital 2 times in two weeks and about all the crazy stuff that happens at school, that I haven’t even written about. Well I have written about my LAN class but that is just one class. Then I remembered we aren’t really normal right now and a lot does happen to me. We probably both once were normal, but that time has passed at least five years ago when Julie married me. She left her once normal life to join me in doctors’ appointments, surgery and oh yah food poisoning hospital visits. I hope someday that we are normal again and I can go to work and Julie doesn’t have to do all the jobs I am supposed to be doing like mowing the lawn and taking out the trash. That day might come sooner or later but for now we will just continue to be different. I think God has made us this way for a reason, actually I know he has. As I look back on both my transplants and Ellies hearing, I can see why God gave us these trials. Julie and I have grown much closer to God than we were even two years ago and also much closer to each other. Its weird our marriage, I think, is better for it. The other thing that God is using us for in all of this, is, other peoples’ blessings. If there was no one hard up in this world who would we help. I’m not saying that we need to rely on other people all the time but we do need to rely on God all the time and if that means other peoples help then that is what we will except. Even though it is hard sometimes. Everyone needs help sometimes. Julie and I have been blessed by so many people. God has given so many people gif s and talents that people have used to help us. Probably the biggest and best thing we have learned is we can not do it on our own. I know now that I have to give everything to God, not just some things. When we started to do this we realized how much better life is. As far as Ellies hearing goes, now she loves her implants and it just shows you how wonderful hearing is. Can you imagine a quiet world? Even as I write this I hear something. God gave us gifts we don’t even recognize or thank him for.
In the bible Paul says we need to rejoice in our hardships because God is testing us. That is sometimes very hard to do. Julie and I for the most part have learned to do just that. It took us a while. But we are joyful for everything that God has given us.