Crying for Mercy

Tomorrow morning, Grason will undergo yet-another brain surgery. Many of you know Grason and his mom, DeAnn (and his brother, sister & father, too) very well. And others of you may remember the posts I made about him back in March, HERE and HERE. Let me give you a really quick version of the story... Forgive me as I leave a lot of details out, and may get some slightly wrong - but I want to give you the quick version, to help burden you to pray for this little boy and his family.

In February, Grason, then 2 years old, fell in his backyard. He broke his nose and ended up with a skull fracture, among other injuries. Within days, Grason got meningitis and it re-wired his brain, in a way. His brain no longer has the ability to absorb Cerebral Spial Fluid (CSF) as it should. And so that leads to his brain having too much - which puts pressure on itself and then leaks out. After numerous surgeries, stints & drains, Grason got an all-clear from his neurosurgeons in June. God worked a miracle in allowing him to heal and save his senses of smell and taste - which the doctors were confident he would lose. And Grason returned home to recover and slowly get back to live as a normal now-3-year-old.

Then the unthinkable happened... Well... none of this nightmare (that seemed to be over) is in the realm of a parent's imagination... but the nightmare got worse when a young woman ran a stop sign, going 65 miles an hour - without a license or insurance - and hit DeAnn's van on the driver's side. Totalling the car. Leaving DeAnn lucky to be alive - with severe bruising of her organs and a broken sternum. The kids all seemed to be ok. And over the last few weekend, DeAnn has been slowly learning to manage her extreme pain and starting the long journey of therapy.

Then last week, Grason began leaking CSF again. DeAnn and her mom rushed him back to Birmingham Children's hospital - a long 4 hour ride for DeAnn, who is still in constant pain herself. After being examed by his doctors, the doctors are sure this new leak is a direct result from the car accident. And they don't know where the leak is originating from... They removed the drain that went from his brain to his stomach - it was working properly. That means there's a leak, a tear in the membrane, somewhere in his brain. After CT scans, doctors are unable to find the source of the leak. The only place they cannot see is the region behind the tissue that houses our ability to smell and taste. They have to move - cut - that tissue in order to repair the leak that is believed to be back there. They have to take away his senses of smell and taste - a permanent procedure that cannot be undone and does not grow back. Tomorrow, Grason will lose both senses for life.

I haven't been able to take Grason and DeAnn off my mind - which leads me to pray for them a hundred times a day. And it seems like everything I see, read or hear reminds me of Grason. God has been teaching me som mighty things through Grason's story.

In fact, I've talked to many people who have been blessed, touched, and changed by Grason's story - most of them have never met this precious boy! Trena shared with me how it has retaught her to trust God in everything - She'd say it a lot better, but in a few words, He's taught her that only He is in control and knows what our future holds - and fully trusting in Him is the only option. Something she'd found herself unwilling to do after losing trust in some close relationships recently. God used Grason to bring her back into a trust relationship with Him.

And Melanie shared with me how the photo of Grason is burned in her mind - he looks much like her husband and the child she & he so deeply want to have. Grason has burdened her to pray not only for Grason's healing, but also for her future child - not just for a pregnancy (as she'd been praying) - but for her future child and his relationship with God.

And me? There are so many things! But this past week, He's used Grason to teach me about His mercy. It's on my mind a million times a day, every day.

Last week, Jacob & I did a mini-word-study of the word "Merciful" - as in Matthew 5:7, "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy."

I know I'm rambling, but bear with me.

"Mercy" is one of those words we Christians use all the time... and it's easy to throw it in with other terms, assuming they're all the same. Like grace, compassion, forgiveness, etc. So it was good to really take some time on it's meaning... There's a lot more to it than what I have space to blog about, but essentially "mercy" is the alleviation of misery. Misery is caused by sin - either sin we do, sin done to us, or just simply because of our sin nature and our imperfect bodies.

God forgives sin - His grace wipes away the guilt of it, if we just ask. But it is His mercy that alleviates the misery caused by sin. He doesn't remove our misery - sin, after all, has consequences. But He helps lessen the burden of that misery.

How easy it is to show mercy to someone in need, in misery because of all kinds of reasons. Easy, that is, if we make time for it.

It's been easy for those of us who have provided meals to DeAnn and her family after the car accident. It's easy for us to make Grason a card and mail it to him in the hospital (which he LOVES - and if you want to do it, email me so I can get you his address). It's easy for us to pray for him, in the comfort of our own homes.

But it's hard to show mercy to someone who has sinned against us... or has hurt someone we love...

I'm personally struggling with forgiveness and mercy right now, towards the young lady that hit my best friend, recklessly driving through a stop sign at 65 miles an hour without a care for the law, or other's on the road. My human side wants this girl to hurt as much - if not more - than she's hurt my friend and her family. I want her to pay. And I'm so far removed from it all - I cannot begin to imagine the hurt, pain, and anger that DeAnn and her family might be feeling.

But I know God calls us to forgive - and as Christians, He will help us to do that. Though it will take time. He's been working on me and through Grason's story, is reminding me of who He is.

He forgives the gravest of sins. The worst offenses imaginable; God not only forgives, but forgets. By His grace, our guilt is wiped clean. We're made white as snow - holy and perfect, washed in His blood and given the right to be called His children. His children - dearly loved children of the King! And we sin AGAINST Him. We do horrible things, we go against His will, we ignore His Word, we put ourselves before Him... and we do it over and over and over again. And yet He forgives the moment we ask, and calls us His own.

Wow.

But then He goes beyong forgiveness; He has mercy on us. He doesn't think "She should pay for that... she needs to hurt as much as she hurt me!" Instead He alleviates our misery. He takes some of it away. Brings people alongside us to help carry the burden. Uses us for His glory. Blesses us. Provides for all our needs. And gives us more gifts than we could ever begin to deserve - even if we had never sinned against Him in the first place.

Wow. Words can't express it.

It's so hard for me to forgive and want to see mercy given to this young lady who so severly injured my friend and her son. I'm not there yet. And, yet, I've done far worse things to God and He has forgiven me. Over and over and over again.

That's what Grason's story is teaching me - this week, at least. How amazing, how complete, how overwhelmingly marvelous the grace and mercy of our God is! He is teaching me to worship Him on a new level - and to deepen my gratitude towards Him for His love, grace & mercy.

If God can forgive and give mercy to the vilest offender, I know He can heal a 3 year old little boy who loves & trusts God - and often signs Jesus Loves Me while laying in his hospital bed.

I know He has mightier plans for this little boy - and great plans for his parents. He must be raising them and training them up to do amazing works for Him one day.

I know that God can spare Grason's senses of smell and taste - or allow them to grow back - both of which the doctors say is impossible. But if our God so chooses, He can do that miracle. I am praying that He will.

And I know that God will be in the operating room on Wednesday morning, guiding the hands of the surgeons.

I know He will also be in the waiting room with Grason's parents, holding them in His mighty arms, resting them against himself and comforting them as they wait. Isn't it awesome that our God, amongst all His other traits, can be both places at once.

And while doing all that, I know He will still be listening to all of our prayers for Grason and his parents.

Would you join me in praying for Grason? Pray with me for a successful surgery - it's scheduled for just after 7am central time, tomorrow, Wednesday 7/14, and will be lengthy. Pray that they find the leak and it never comes back. Pray for the plastic surgeon - that he'll be able to repair the muscle and tissue on Grason's head without any deformities. Pray a quick recovery, for little pain and lots of patience. And pray for a miracle.

Pray for God's glory to fill that operating room - and the waiting room. For Him to be made known to all Grason's surgeons, nurses, therapists and family. And for Him to protect their hearts, their finances and their precious son.

Pray with me - God will change your life and teach you incredible things about yourself and Himself, as He has done with so many of us already. He will use Grason to bless you more than you can imagine.

Not sure what words to pray? I found Psalm 86 today... what a perfect prayer for Grason. Pray this psalm, and replace many of the first person pronouns with Grason's name.

PSALM 86
Hear, O LORD, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
Guard my life, for I am devoted to you.
You are my God; save your servant
who trusts in you.
Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for I call to you all day long.
Bring joy to your servant,
for to you, O Lord,
I lift up my soul.
You are forgiving and good, O Lord,
abounding in love to all who call to you.
Hear my prayer, O LORD;
listen to my cry for mercy.
In the day of my trouble I will call to you,
for you will answer me.
Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord;
no deeds can compare with yours.
All the nations you have made
will come and worship before you, O Lord;
they will bring glory to your name.
For you are great and do marvelous deeds;
you alone are God.
Teach me your way, O LORD,
and I will walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.
I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart;
I will glorify your name forever.
For great is your love toward me;
you have delivered me from the depths of the grave.
The arrogant are attacking me, O God;
a band of ruthless men seeks my life—
men without regard for you.
But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,
slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.
Turn to me and have mercy on me;
grant your strength to your servant
and save the son of your maidservant.
Give me a sign of your goodness,
that my enemies may see it and be put to shame,
for you, O LORD, have helped me and comforted me.


"Hear my prayer, O LORD; listen to my cry for mercy." Heal Grason, take away his misery and the misery of his parents. Lord, do a miracle that only You can do. Do a miracle in my heart - and do a miracle in Grason's brain.
Amen