The moon is round

(Moon Picture from NASA files)

Yesterday, as BJ and I came out of the doctor’s office it was early evening. The sky was clear and the moon was bright . There was only one star shining intense enough to be seen beside the brilliance of the moon. It was a fingernail moon, just a sliver left before the full moon shows up in our night sky later this week. We both looked at each other and smiled. He said to me, “The moon is round.”

He had just gotten the last cast off his arm (90% healed) and his right hand was pronounced functional. The ribs and sternum have a ways to go yet, but The Moon is Round!

It’s been seven weeks since his accident. Five days in ICU, four weeks at home, a miraculous two weeks in Israel and now one week at home again. Three cast changes, sleeping in a recliner the first four weeks, a long plane ride across the ocean and now we are nearing the end of a long season of recovery. The moon IS round.

Prayers from around the world and across this nation have supported us and brought amazing miracles along the way. While in ICU, because of the chest injuries, his blood oxygen would not stay up to 89% (99% is normal). It kept dropping down to 84-85%, which would warrant a quick visit from the nurse to say “Breathe deeply, Mr. Young!” Our friend, James Nesbit called the day he seemed to be having more problems with this. As we explained the situation, he immediately asked his network to speak “Ruach” breath to BJ’s lungs. Within an hour his oxygen level came up to 89% and really never went lower again. It was at a steady 91% the day we left the hospital. A miracle? I think so. The moon is Round!

Over the past seven weeks, as I’ve watched my strong spouse rise up and exceed expectations of healing, I’ve been so pleased and proud of him. On the other hand, I found I was a little lost. I felt I could not exhale. It seemed anxiety was my rule of the day. Would we still be able to go to Israel, a trip that had been in the planning stage since January? If so How? Just getting meals and baths and laundry was overwhelming and to add an international trip was just too much. Enter the body of Christ! Meals arrived from precious friends. Children came and helped immensely. Others prayed. Our friend Marty came at 7 AM the day before we left and took BJ to two doctor’s appointments, completely packed his bags for Israel, then came back to help load our suit cases! Yes! The Lord took care of every detail. The moon is truly round!

Yet, because I could not ‘get a grip’ I was having symptoms of anxiety overload and needed a little medical help. Enter God’s awesome servant, Debbie, a nurse practitioner who saw what I needed both physically and spiritually. She gave me two prescriptions to get me through Israel, but then she prayed for me! As I wept in her arms, I felt the presence and the power of the Lord swoop in and calm my anxious soul. That did more than the medication. I walked out of that office knowing in my spirit that Yes! We could go to Israel. And Yes! The moon is round.

And so we did. But that is for a later blog.

What is this “The moon is round” business? Let me recommend a book that has spoken to my spirit and soul in deep ways that I can hardly comprehend during this crisis. The day before BJ’s accident I was on the leadership team of The Ruach Journey retreat in Alabama. My friend, Sylvia Gunter, had just published her latest book and placed one of the first copies in my hand. I knew this would be a good book, one that would minister deeply into my soul, but I had no idea this would be a lifeline for me. During the following weeks, I tried to read my bible, my devotions, but nothing seemed to stick. As I read, my heart would hear, but would quickly release what I had just read. “I will trust in the Lord with my whole heart and lean not on my own understanding” became my motto, my only link with the Lord throughout the days.

Last week, after returning home, I finally just sat down and randomly opened Sylvia’s book. The chapter, “The moon is round” caught my eye. So simple, yet so profound. And I began to cry. As the tears rolled, I mentally walked again through the past seven weeks. Yes, my life had been turned upside down with one phone call. Yes, I had seen God’s hand at every turn. Yet, why had I allowed the stress and anxiety to get such a grip in my soul and why could I not just let go and trust my Father’s hand?

The moon is round. When we can only see a fingernail size, or half moon, the moon is still full and round! It is still complete and whole, just like our Father’s love for us. It really never changes nor diminishes. Even when the clouds hide it, the moon is still round.

God met us at every turn. Even when I didn’t realize it, HE WAS STILL THERE! In all of His fullness, He was there. In all of His love, He was there. In all of His completeness, He was there. I was really never in danger of being dropped for one minute. He was there, holding me even when I could not see it, feel it or even believe it. He was there.

Just like the moon. Ever faithful. Ever round. Never changing, even though my perspective is skewed, darkened by clouds, or overshadowed by other objects, the moon is still round.

Prayer: Thank you Father, that your love never diminishes, never fails, never gives up on us. Lord, thank you that the moon is always still round. And even when I can’t see you, you are there: loving, supporting, caring, protecting, providing.

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You may find Sylvia’s new book Safe in the Father’s Heart at https://thefathersbusiness.com. I highly recommend it!

Thank you Sylvia, for sharing your story with the world. We needed it!