New Year's Eve

Just another day for Pops...not much to say. He is still so exhausted and slept much of the day. He is doing well with his breathing...up to an hour and a half on his own. But he is still out of it, he's not able to sit and have a conversation or anything.

Since there's not much news today, I thought I would include a letter that P.J. wrote two days ago...dad's "wake-up day". This hits us all differently, and I thought it was a sweet letter for dad to read someday. So here's a note from my little brother, Peege:

We arrived back in Denver amidst the two biggest storms of the season. Being cooped up in our apartment forced us into a day of solitude and reflection which we didn’t anticipate being so difficult. The week after the accident our minds were kept busy, focusing on ways we could lend a helping hand in a time of chaos. Its almost comical looking back on that first week as we went from care free newlyweds in Denver to part time and completely inexperienced “machine shop administrators”. Dad would have laughed to see me in his work clothes and his boots, carrying his cell phone around pretending that I had answers to questions being asked by visitors. It was scary being at the shop without Dad, but I knew he would be proud to know that his kids were doing all they could to help. We thank God for the strength he gave us to get through that week, for Rudy who has been an amazing partner and friend to Dad at Genesis, and for all of our friends and family who flooded us with support. Whether it was a phone call, an email, a warm meal, or even a simple text message to remind us of the prayers being said, we knew we weren’t alone… and neither was Dad.

Since leaving Wisconsin , it has been incredible to see how many people are sincerely praying for Dad’s recovery. While in Tucson last week visiting Kersta’s family, several members of her church greeted us in a warm embrace and comforted us with their promise of prayer. I have also received emails of prayer networks from churches in Nebraska , Denver , Los Angeles , Hawaii , South Dakota , Minnesota , Florida , and Texas . The support is overwhelming, and we couldn’t be more grateful for these prayers.

Despite amazing encouragement and prayer, there are still days when fear and doubt set in. Last night I was digging our cars out of snow for four hours. It wasn’t the work that was frustrating, but the thoughts and fears that only a quiet snowy night in a back alley would allow. With each shovel of snow, I thought: If our God is the God who loved us so much He sent His Son to die for our sins… if He is the One who can make our hearts as clear, as pure, and as white as snow, then why would he let this happen to Dad. With this and a four hour drive to the airport to pick up a friend, I was tired, frustrated, and angrier than I’ve ever been in my entire life. I came home and vented to Kersta until 2:30 in the morning and was scared of my fears and doubts. Kersta prayed a simple prayer, and asked that God would reveal Himself to us once again. She prayed for a sign, or some sort of reassurance that He was there and was listening to us and that Dad was indeed under the watch of His angels. Early the next morning I woke up to a message from Mom who was very excited to report to us that Dad was with us, that he didn’t remember the last three weeks, and that he was rejoicing in his life. Tears overflowed as once again as God’s loving arms embraced and comforted us. We realized God was with us and He always has been. God is obviously working in all of our hearts in different ways and at different times and we are excited for what he is doing in our hearts. We celebrate Dad’s vast improvement today, and our restored faith that God is in control. There is still so much more work to be done, but we rest tonight assured that our God is good.