Answered Prayers

How many times have you heard that "God works in mysterious ways." I believe that. I think that sometimes we have challenges that seem like they will never end. I've had a couple of years like that. But, I have to say, in His own time and in His own way, God has taught me something wonderful. He does listen and He will answer--if I ask, believe, and trust.

My first posts on this blog were about the struggles that our family is facing with NF2. Katie is progressing well with her cochlear implant and is due to go back for some adjustments. Her hearing may not ever be "perfect" but it is coming back enough to keep her safer. That's all we can really ask for, I think. This entire process has taught us the need for trust and faith to move forward and try what her doctor's suggest. They have been put in our lives for a reason and I'm so thankful for them.

The largest struggle with the NF2 at this point is the financial piece. My health insurance did a great job of covering what she has always needed...even though they needed a little persuasion from time to time...until she turned 23. Then, we had to make big decisions about what to do: do we try to attain Medicaid coverage through SSI, do we pick up a COBRA policy at a ridiculous price that we really couldn't afford, or what? Luckily, I work for a wonderful school system that truly helped me with this process. They assisted me in finding a way to keep her on my current policy for two years...with the possibility of her being able to remain on full time...with no change in premium payment. That was a huge blessing. They also encouraged me to pursue SSI for her.

Katie and I filled out the paperwork, went to the interviews, filled out more paperwork, talked with people who have no idea that DEAF is DEAF, and cried lots of tears together. Her father was the rock of support and has really been the glue that has kept us all from flying apart into different quivering pieces. We've called, written, screamed and finally...an answer..yesterday.

SHE WAS APPROVED! Thank you God, for another awesome blessing. We hadn't heard from anyone in awhile so I called our local Social Security Office. The approval had been sitting there for "awhile" and they just hadn't gotten around to telling us about it. (I wish they could have been living in this house for the past two weeks. The "not knowing" of all of this was sending Katie over the edge. She was surly, depressed, angry, and the only people she could share that with were my husband and me. I have to say that that wasn't at all pleasant.)

After that news, I heard from the attorney handling my car accident case. My settlement was mailed to me yesterday morning and will be here in days. It's been over a year. I am so thankful for the end to this process. I had no idea that when I asked for his help that it would take a year to resolve. I guess I should have known that we couldn't wrap things up until the injuries were healed.

It's really interesting, but the accident really has been another blessing. Because my car was a total loss we have been scaling back and holding off on buying another one. That has given me the time to ride with my children to more places, talk to them more, ride with friends and solve all of the world's problems as we travel to work...I even use the car pool at school. Ed and I have done much more together because we have been sharing his truck. Although I miss the freedom that I had when I had easy access to wheels, I think I'll miss this type of connection with my family when we get the other car. I'll have to make a point to keep connected.

Another blessing: my son and his girlfriend have just purchased a brand new car and now Kelly can find employment, go back to school, and find her way in life again. She has been a victim of very bad economical circumstances and has stayed strong through it. Now, a door is opening for the two of them. They both can contribute and move forward with their goals.

Another blessing: Becky and Rob are doing great and Becky is looking at going to graduate school in the next couple of years. She really wants to pursue forensic anthropology as a career choice. She's been looking for a job that is more in line with her interests and I think that she may be on to something. A local lab that tests crime scene evidence needs someone with her skills. It would really open up some doors for her. She likes her current job and won't leave it without other options but if this works out, she will be on her way to what she currently considers her "dream job". (LOL---I told her that her idea of a dream job will change 5000 times in her lifetime. My current idea of a dream job is being the sand chair tester on a wide expanse of beach somewhere--with my friends to keep me company!)

And the last blessing of the day: I feel fantastic. I've had pneumonia and didn't know it. My lungs are clearing, my follow-up appointment went great, I can breathe again and the upper respiratory nonsense has finally stopped. Thanks God for listening and giving so much to me and my family. Keep us strong, healthy, faith-filled, and full of trust in you. Amen.