I'm going to try for a few moments to put away all of the sadness and devastation we have felt since our boys were diagnosed with Sanfilippo Syndrome and focus on some of the blessings we have received over the last six months.
There was a night back in April, not long after Jarod was diagnosed, that I was physically crying myself to sleep and mentally crying out to God "Where are You?" I have had a close relationship with my Savior since I was a child, but in light of all that was happening I just didn't feel His presence. He seemed nowhere to be found. As I was crying I had a sudden vision of a crowd of people, some faces I knew and others I did not. And with the vision I heard the words "My hands and feet." At that moment I realized that I was looking for God in the wrong places. I was hoping that He would drastically change our situation...a false positive test, a miraculous cure, something huge because He has the power to do such things. But, just because He can do miraculous things doesn't mean He will. Maybe instead He is choosing to with us every step of the way on this long journey we have ahead. And He has blessed us with the people he has placed around us.
So we owe a great amount of gratitude to so many people who have come around us in the last few months to show love and support - to be God's hands and feet in our life. In the last six months we have had family, friends, church families and friends of family host a candle party, a pancake breakfast, a night at Strikers, a pizza night, a golf outing, a jewelry party (and this week brings a "hoedown" and a soccer tournament) to raise funds to help us with new medical costs. We've had people send cards with words of encouragement, donations and gift cards...some even anonymously. While were were in Minneapolis in June getting all of Jarod's testing done we had family back home taking care of Caleb...and we had friends from church that secretly came to our house and took care of some landscaping and deck and fence rebuilding that we had planned to do when we returned home. What a surprise that was after a challenging week!
If you were any of these people - THANK YOU! If you have purchased a t-shirt - THANK YOU! If you have attended a fundraiser - THANK YOU! If you have offered up your prayers for our family - THANK YOU!! I'm sure that I have forgotten someone and if I have, I apologize. Thank you to everyone who has shown us their love. :)