Greetings from Austin Street

Happy Monday!  Bruce was really tired tonight when we visited him. I think the thinness of his blood is taking its toll. I know they are keeping tabs on it and lowering his cumidin dosage to get his blood back within a desired level. The docs want the cumidin level between 2.5 and 3.5 and his is in the 7.5 range.  So his blood is super thin and so any bump, bruise or small nick that could cause bleeding could be serious. His vision is also giving him a problem. I spoke with the nursing staff today about him visiting the neuro-optomitrist.  I don’t have an answer as yet, but Bruce told me tonight that he wanted new lenses in the frames he currently owns.  His attitude was wonderful as usual. He really enjoyed looking at the pictures Geni had to share from her trip to Houston and Galveston this weekend. Right now a beautiful beach and glorious sunset sounds wonderful. As to the bedroom rehab… (I seem to be surrounded with rehab work.) The beautiful floor has been laid; the ceiling has been sanded and painted as have the walls a beautiful color called snowfall. The room looks so much bigger and is such a cheery place. There are still drop cloths on the floor right now. The workers are coming back tomorrow to do a few more things like plates on the light switches and plugs and put the trip back up. I hope to sleep in our bed tomorrow night.  We have been richly blessed with friends who are godly servants who have volunteered their time to help us out with this project. In my prayer time I have asked God to bless these kind folks abundantly.  Please pray for Bruce as he continues to heal; for his blood to respond to the medicine and his vision to get better.  Thank you friends. God is good and love wins.

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with the power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.”

Ephesians 3: 1-17

Most of the time in this current situation I have the most wonderful hope for recovery and then there are times like today when I see the weariness on Bruce’s face, the struggle with vision and the tiredness that he cannot control and my heart almost breaks. I want to be there by his side as his constant encourager and in truth I would give anything to be able to fix this. But I can’t. And even though I can see him each day I miss him when I wake up and when I walk in the door and when I go to sleep. I know that this time is for Bruce’s betterment and he is in the best place receiving the most amazing care. This does not keep me from missing him and having him in every thought I have.

The hospitals on the night of the stroke did not give very much hope of Bruce having a life beyond lying in a bed, but God who is the hope of glory appears to have other plans. The hope of glory usually refers to our time in heaven, but the light of heavens glory is so bright that is came down and reached us in the present to affirm how God is in control of this entire situation. There are some places of darkness in Bruce’s brain because part of his brain died that night. But no matter how dark the place, God’s light shines in the darkness because the darkness has not overpowered the light of God reaching down from heaven into a moment of darkness making the journey brighter with each step.

Take joy in the journey remembering that hope does not disappoint. Wear comfortable shoes, pray with a heart filled with gratitude, let us cast our cares upon the LORD and get some sleep. God is up all night anyway and there is no reason for all of us to be awake. Love you all, Bruce and Gaylene