Day 6 of our Cystic Fibrosis Tune Up

The Goliath got bigger today in our hospital room. The Dr met with me and didn’t have any good news. Normally we do a couple of minutes of short talk and ease into the talk about cystic fibrosis. Today was different. Today he came in somber and reminded me how much he loves our kids and that we need to be aggressive. He gave a bunch of different scenarios of how this hospitalization could go. He must’ve saw my face because he said a couple times that we will fight this together.

In 1st Samuel 17, David showed up to see his brothers and there wasn’t any good news. The giant Goliath showed up every morning yelling and cursing while threatening to enslave and kill the Israelites. No one dared to fight him in fear of their lives. They just stayed captive. They decided that being captive was ok.

I feel like Cystic Fibrosis is the Goliath in our hospital room. I’ve been scared of it for so long, shoving all the what if questions to the background and focused on everything but that. I’m so angry at myself for making their condition a normal part of life, much like the Israelites made Goliaths’ taunts part of their lives. For forty days they were ok living in fear, and for 10yrs I was too. Instead of doing a treatment and just moving along I need to call the Goliath out during the treatments. The battle lines were drawn today much like David’s.

It was different for David on that day too. David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” He grabbed some smooth stones and a sling, and fired a stone aimed at Goliaths head. Down went Goliath.

David wasn’t a super hero like Superman or Batman, but David had God on his side and he saw the victory. That’s huge!

God I want to see the victory like David did. Cystic Fibrosis is my family’s Goliath and it’s yelling loudly. I want to have the faith to throw a stone at every negative diagnosis that the enemy boasts. We will do 3hrs of antibiotic treatments, 2.5 hrs of breathing treatments, be poked, be quarantined, and have late night talks and cries...but we will also take a smooth stone and take what the enemy meant for evil and turn it for good.

Goliath laughed today when I learned that more tests needed to be taken and that they would be late next week before they are administered. This means more hospital time and tests for the kids, more time away from work, more family separated coming and going, more financial stuff, and ultimately more complications all around.

I had to step away shortly from the kids to allow that to soak in. I went outside for 10min to get some air and cried out of frustration. I know they will be healed, I know we are in the fire, I know He is with us...but come on Jesus let’s get a win now. Then “see a victory” came on over my phone and I spoke with wise counsel that reminded me of the truth and not Goliaths hellish taunts over my kids.

The opening verse of the songs says:

The weapon may be formed

But it won't prosper

When the darkness falls it won't prevail

'Cause the God I serve knows only how to triumph

My God will never fail

Oh, My God will never fail

Second verse:

There's power in the mighty name of Jesus

Every war he wages He will win

I'm not backing down from any giant

'Cause, I know how this story ends

Yes, I know how this story ends

(Link to the song: https://youtu.be/YNd-PbVhnvA)

We can’t back down from our giants. No matter how big they seem. They will never leave. They will create the legacy for your life. That’s not going to happen with our kids. I’m going to see a victory because the battle belongs to the Lord. That will be the legacy. Let the enemy believe he has us, only to find that he helped to create a testimony bigger than any giant created. I am believing that’s what is going to happen at the hospital.

Tonight I’m declaring VICTORY. I know how this story ends. Now to walk that victory out! #cysticfibrosis #family