Many of you know about what happened to Mattie Bekken, Heidi's son, a little over a week ago. Mattie was in the kitchen helping his mom and brother make dinner when he and his brother found a wishbone and they decided to make a wish. Pulling as hard as they could, Mattie flew backward and knocked a pot of boiling water off the stove and all over himself. It has been a tragic and trying week and a half so far for their family as Mattie had to be admitted to Harborview Hospital in Seattle where he and his mom stayed for more than a week. Thankfully, they are back home now, but by no means are they out of the woods. Mattie may need to have surgery on his elbow area because it is slower to heal than they had hoped. Keep Mattie and his family in your prayers.
Life can be so full of surprises, both wonderful and sometimes tragic. Things happen sometimes that are completely beyond our control. The only thing we can control is how we choose to deal with the circumstances. This story is incredibly sad and I will tell you that it was very hard to watch little Mattie struggle to even walk and get around when I visited him in the hospital. However, I am not writing this to tell you only about the struggles and the difficulties faced by Mattie and his family, but about the amazing story of strength and faith that underscores this entire event. Heidi has been responsible this last week for what is probably one of the most difficult things she has ever had to do. When Mattie is hurting, she tells him to keep going for his own good. The doctors have told her that in order to heal properly he needs to be moving his arms and legs. This is so painful for him and Heidi not only has to watch him hurt, but urge him on no matter how hard it is. In addition, she has had to learn to bathe and clean his wounds which included rubbing the burns. I know that all of us can relate to how challenging this must be. Some of her closest relatives even fainted just watching, but Heidi pushes on. How? Here is an excerpt from an email she sent out the fifth day of their hospital stay:
"As I write this email, my mind thinks of so many passages in the Bible about running the race. The race we are in is not of the body or time, but of the heart. Enduring through the pain, the setbacks, the trials of the heart and enduring with the strength that only our Heavenly Father can give. He will minister to me, and only give me as much as I can handle each day. I trust in the Lord and lean not on my own understanding."
Heidi has the choice right now, she could sit back and look at the circumstances and feel overwhelmed and like giving up, or she can choose to draw her strength from the Lord, trusting that He will never give her more than she can handle. She knows that He is in control and as she looks to Him, she has found the verse to be true where Jesus says, My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. She is weak and circumstances are beyond her control, but He supplies her with the strength she needs. Just as little Mattie's healing relies on her strength to push him on even when it hurts, she knows that she can count on God to provide her with the strength needed to persevere even when it seems too much to handle. It is in these times of great suffering and need when we realize our own inability to control difficult circumstances that we can find the victory in Christ. By choosing to give Him full control, trust and love we know that He will see us through and that our race will not be in vain, but to His glory.
Life can be so full of surprises, both wonderful and sometimes tragic. Things happen sometimes that are completely beyond our control. The only thing we can control is how we choose to deal with the circumstances. This story is incredibly sad and I will tell you that it was very hard to watch little Mattie struggle to even walk and get around when I visited him in the hospital. However, I am not writing this to tell you only about the struggles and the difficulties faced by Mattie and his family, but about the amazing story of strength and faith that underscores this entire event. Heidi has been responsible this last week for what is probably one of the most difficult things she has ever had to do. When Mattie is hurting, she tells him to keep going for his own good. The doctors have told her that in order to heal properly he needs to be moving his arms and legs. This is so painful for him and Heidi not only has to watch him hurt, but urge him on no matter how hard it is. In addition, she has had to learn to bathe and clean his wounds which included rubbing the burns. I know that all of us can relate to how challenging this must be. Some of her closest relatives even fainted just watching, but Heidi pushes on. How? Here is an excerpt from an email she sent out the fifth day of their hospital stay:
"As I write this email, my mind thinks of so many passages in the Bible about running the race. The race we are in is not of the body or time, but of the heart. Enduring through the pain, the setbacks, the trials of the heart and enduring with the strength that only our Heavenly Father can give. He will minister to me, and only give me as much as I can handle each day. I trust in the Lord and lean not on my own understanding."
Heidi has the choice right now, she could sit back and look at the circumstances and feel overwhelmed and like giving up, or she can choose to draw her strength from the Lord, trusting that He will never give her more than she can handle. She knows that He is in control and as she looks to Him, she has found the verse to be true where Jesus says, My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. She is weak and circumstances are beyond her control, but He supplies her with the strength she needs. Just as little Mattie's healing relies on her strength to push him on even when it hurts, she knows that she can count on God to provide her with the strength needed to persevere even when it seems too much to handle. It is in these times of great suffering and need when we realize our own inability to control difficult circumstances that we can find the victory in Christ. By choosing to give Him full control, trust and love we know that He will see us through and that our race will not be in vain, but to His glory.
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