Powerful Princess

Abbie has been busy getting used to new therapists from school, who come to work with her at home.  She has also kept up all her physical work.  It is difficult, after a lapse in updates, to catch up.  So, the best (I admit...I mean "easiest") thing to do is to just jump right in at where we are.

Last Sunday began a saga that made me realize how blessed we are.  Just before Genevieve left, she asked, "What is that fever you get from mosquitoes?"  Malaria was the first thing that came to my mind, and was my answer.  In the middle of the night the word "Dengue" came to me.  Yes, indeed, it was Dengue fever that her two little great-nieces were afflicted with in the Phillippines.

Monday brought dire news, that the older sister (6yo) was failing, and becoming unresponsive.  It was especially stressful for Genevieve and her family because in the Phillippines, medical treatment is not undertaken unless it is paid for right then.  They were having to come up with money, during the crisis, to get the care these precious girls needed.

The family was being heavily pressured to disconnect life support, as Dobi's organs failed and she no longer responded to anyone. Treatment was begun too far into the course of the illness to help her. The family's only recourse was to beg for the hospital to leave it on long enough for the mother to get there to hold her daughter as she passed away.  Sickening memories for us, of that situation, but all I had to worry about then was Abbie - -not how we were going to pay the ICU costs that day.

As the news kept getting worse I turned to Abbie and said firmly, "You need to start praying for Dobi...right now.  Pray for Jesus to heal her.  You keep praying."  Abbie's little body jumped in her bed and her eyes flashed her affirmation.  I turned to Genevieve and said, "Abbie is on the job!"

A couple hours later, Genevieve's phone rang.  Dobi had urinated a tiny bit.  We laughed with joy - -it wasn't over yet!  But, the family still had to fight to be allowed to support her.  The disconnection was scheduled for Tuesday.

Mid-afternoon on Tuesday, while I was in the kitchen I heard Genevieve cry, "Oh my God!"  I hesitated just a moment before I ran in there, intimidated by the grief about to confront me.  When I saw her face, however, I became dizzy.  Not tears. Joy....joy, joy , joy.

Dobi was awake!  And talking.  And asking for a Dora cake for her birthday.  I danced over to Abbie and said, "Look how powerful your prayers are.  LOOK what you CAN do!!"  She grinned.  I reminded her that the job wasn't quite done, and that we needed to pray Dobi all the way home, but we did relish the celebration.

We are humbled yet again.  How loving and compassionate is our God.  How he houses his most powerful warriors in fragile clay.  How profoundly he uses those the world sees as unuseful. 

Abbie was most certainly not the only one praying for Dobi.  But, He allowed Abbie the privilege of being part of someone else's miracle, to feel capable and strong, and, I suspect, to feel particularly equipped and called for just such a mission.

We are so grateful!