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July 14, 2005
The Load lessens/The Load Lessons, July14, 8 AM
sorry that i wasn't able to post an update yesterday. nothing i had hoped to get done really worked out. today is a brand new and promising day, filled with new hopes and possibilities. i guess the utter disbelief of having our wonderful old and very dear oak tree lay down on our very old and wonderful house as it's final resting place has passed pretty quickly. perhaps disbelief isn't quite the word that best describes what i was feeling when i drove up and saw our house for the first time. maybe overwhelmed would be a better way to describe my initial reaction. a feeling that i didn't seem to be able to break out of until sometime yesterday morning when i realized that a significant amounts of rain was still coming into the house even though tarps had been placed over most of the damaged areas of the roof, and that i had to try and find a way, or someone to help me get it stopped before even more interior damage took place.
you wouldn't think making a call like that would have been so difficult, but when you are in a state of being "overwhelmed" it is not so much the difficulty of actually dialing the phone as it is the decision process that leads up to being able to do that.
Fortunately, when i was finally able to dial i called stuart bickley, someone i have known for several years, who is not only a wonderful person, but he is also a great contractor. when i told him what my need was he didn't even hesitate before saying he would be over with a crew to secure the house in order to keep it from getting any more water damage inside. it seemed like as soon as he said that the feelings of being "overwhelmed" melted away. thank you Lord.
before the afternoon was over the house was as secure as it is humanly possible to know, that is, until it rains again, which looks like that could happen any time now. also with stuart's help i was also able to find a contractor that will be able to do the work as soon as the insurance company arrives at a claim settlement. i would have really loved for stuart's company to do the work, but he is scheduled out pretty far with work right now. so, now, it is just a matter of hurrying up and wait. thank you, again, Lord for reminding me that everything happens according to your time and plan and your perfect will, will ultimately be accomplished in all things.
that was a little of what took place at our home, yesterday. what took place yesterday in atlanta with asher was a good day. he and hadrienne made up this new game to play and gloria, as a spectator, really loved getting to watch them play it. basically, the game was for one of them to make up a facial expression and then for the other one to try and copy it. gloria said it was really cute and i think it brought some much needed lightheartedness into, what has turned out to be, some fairly tense days.
i guess my biggest prayer request for asher right now is for depression. depression under these circumstances can be and often is as paralyzing as physical paralysis. and, as you can well imagine, attitude plays a vital role in the recovery process, especially when the injuries have been as critical as the ones that asher has sustained.
when i spoke to gloria a few minutes ago she said that 2 of asher's closest friends, mark and josh, were waiting at the hospital when she got there. she said it was amazing how much asher's attitude changed when he saw them. she said that his whole countenance brightened up immediately. they were able to be with him while he was eating and he was eating better than he had been in days.
that has been, probably, one of the most difficult aspects of being in atlanta, that asher cannot see his friends more regularly. as much as we know he loves us, and we know this because he expresses it to us every single day now, it is still not the same as having your friends around.
we have not told asher about the tree falling on the house, and probably won't at this point. as i have mentioned, he already struggles with believing that he will be able to come back home. part of the problem for asher is that he has no basis for having any kind of a perspective for the improvements in his condition. since he has only been talking now for almost 2 weeks, he really doesn't remember anything before that. so, to him, the way he is now is the way he has always been since his accident. please pray that he will begin to see and understand how much he has really improved, and to appreciate all the many miracles that have taken place in his and our lives since this has happened because of all of your many and continued prayers.
thank so much for continuing to care and to pray. it seems that, daily, that God keeps reminding me that i need to keep up my guard, which is what He says that we are to do all the time anyway.
all praise and thanksgiving to the one from whom all blessings flow,
andy mendonsa
| By Andy Mendonsa | 08:32 AM
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Comments
the Bible tells us that laughter is good medicine.
just yesterday i was thinking i haven't been having my full quota of laughter recently and need to catch up on that. are there some jokes or amusing stories or funny videos that asher would enjoy?
we all should lighten up, especially after we "cast
our burdens on the LORD."
Posted by: grace at July 14, 2005 01:37 PM
Hey Andy,
Keith here, from Orlando. Was looking on a friends wedbsite, clicked on a site called chattanooga blogs and just looked through the list of names to see if I might know anyone. Then I saw your name. I smiled. I was excited to see your name and read what was going on. I am in a class right now at the seminary, a counseling class. I began to read your story. I heard about your son being in the hospital, but I didn't know why. I didn't know so, I read more. I had to remind myself of where I was as tears came to my eyes about what has happened to your son.
I am sorry to hear of what happened and not for just what has happened to your son, but to your house, and to your supporters withdrawing their support. Andy, it doesn't make sense to me that this is all happening to you and your family.
I just wanted to let you know that I am thinking about you and that I am grieving with you now.
"blessed are those who mourn, for they shall inherit the kingdom of God."
With love,
Keith Case--the one who invaded the old house on Mitchell Hammock. Thanks for believing in us then Andy. God bless.
Posted by: J. Keith Case at July 14, 2005 02:55 PM
Andy, I read your updates on Asher's condition and am so very thankful he is improving. Beth told me about your house as soon as she knew so we have added that to our prayers for you. Seems llike only yesterday that Asher and David were such little ones--your family is in my prayers daily and we do know that God is good all the time. Frances (Goggy)
Posted by: Frances Mayfield at July 17, 2005 01:08 PM
Hi Andy,
I am so very happy that Asher continues to improve and just want you to know that I hold him, you, Gloria and Hadrienne in my thoughts and prayers every day. The following is a prayer that I want to share with you which was written by the late James Dillet Freeman, a writer and poet who was affiliated with Silent Unity, a worldwide prayer ministry. This little prayer has helped me immeasurably at differnt times in my life and hoping it will do the same for you and your family to lift some of your fears and anxieties:
Prayer for Protection
The light of God surrounds me;
The love of God enfolds me;
The power of God protects me;
The presence of God watches over me;
Wherever I am, God is!
Continuing to pray for Asher's full recovery and the restoration of your home. Sending love, light, health and peace.
Love, Terry
Posted by: Terry Danzig at July 17, 2005 10:08 PM
