Yes, I realize it has been 10 months since I have opened this blog. What an amazing journey our family has been on. God has been teaching and guiding us down paths we would never have imagined, and this is just the beginning.
The last time I posted on this blog, the kids and I were getting ready to board a plane and head back to Africa for 6 weeks. We were truly EXPECTING the UNEXPECTED.... and we were not DISAPPOINTED!
God works in amazingly, wonderfully, mysterious ways. Ways that are beyond our human comprehension. He is orchestrating events and details behind the scenes, and it is our privilege to walk in the path that He lays out in front of us... not questioning, but accepting and embracing ALL He has for us.
There are many stories to tell from our 6 weeks in Kenya & Uganda, and I will share some of those over the next few weeks... but the bigger story is how we have SEEN God's HAND in the life of our FAMILY in very REAL and TANGIBLE WAYS.
He has been beyond FAITHFUL to each of us. This amazing story is just beginning to unfold. There are major twists and turns just around the corner, and we are humbled and excited to be a part of it.
As I sit at my desk this morning with the sun rising and streaming in through the window directly onto my face, I can FEEL His LOVE, POWER, GRACE and PEACE in a way that almost takes my breath away.
We had been home from Africa for just a week last summer and Bret decided to head out on a 15 mile bike ride to get some much needed exercise. I was out in the yard pulling weeds as he left and we joked about whether or not he was too out of shape to handle that length of ride. He assured me he had his cell phone and would call me if he got too tired and needed me to come pick him up.
It wasn't but 15 minutes later that an old, red and white pick up truck pulled into my driveway and an older man asked if I was Mrs. Perkey. He went on to explain that he and his son had come across my husband sitting on the side of the road with his bike. They had called the EMS for him and they wanted me to know.
I honestly cannot remember all that was going through my mind at that moment, but I grabbed my keys and told Emma to hop in the car with me to see what was going on with her dad. We pulled up to the spot, just 1/4 mile from our house, as they were closing the door on the back of the ambulance. The paramedic allowed me a quick peak at Bret before looking me straight in the eyes and saying, "don't try to keep up with us, we are going full lights and sirens - we think he is having a stroke."
Honestly.... time stood still for just a few moments.
As I drove to the hospital, I prayed out loud so Emma could hear me. Asking God to touch Bret, protect him and prepare us for WHATEVER He had for our family. I told Him that I TRUSTED Him... no matter what! That I knew HE had a PLAN... that maybe we did NOT understand right now, but I KNEW it was BEST.
When I walked into the ER, trying to shield Emma as best I could, Bret had no feeling and very little movement on the right side of his body. He could not speak any words, only sounds. He immediately knew who I was and fully understood what was happening. They immediately took him for a scan and the neurologist began to talk with me about giving him a drug they use to open the blockage and stop the stroke. He was explaining all of the RISKS involved with this drug - the potential for a bleed that could be fatal. My mind was racing... who could I quickly talk to that would help me make this decision?
At that moment, they wheeled Bret back into the room and he was SPEAKING CLEARLY, talking to the nurse and LIFTING his RIGHT ARM. What? The neurologist looked right at me and said, "I would highly recommend you NOT give him the drug at this point." And so the decision was made. Thank you Lord for that quick answer! Just as quickly, Bret's speech slowed and his movements became limited again... but it was just enough for me to catch a GLIMPSE of what God had in store for us. HE had this... ALL of it, and I just needed to be STRONG and WALK down the path HE was laying out before us.
And so, began the journey of a life time.... only the first of many MIRACLE MOMENTS over the next few months as we woke daily - EXPECTING the UNEXPECTED.
Diana
The last time I posted on this blog, the kids and I were getting ready to board a plane and head back to Africa for 6 weeks. We were truly EXPECTING the UNEXPECTED.... and we were not DISAPPOINTED!
God works in amazingly, wonderfully, mysterious ways. Ways that are beyond our human comprehension. He is orchestrating events and details behind the scenes, and it is our privilege to walk in the path that He lays out in front of us... not questioning, but accepting and embracing ALL He has for us.
There are many stories to tell from our 6 weeks in Kenya & Uganda, and I will share some of those over the next few weeks... but the bigger story is how we have SEEN God's HAND in the life of our FAMILY in very REAL and TANGIBLE WAYS.
He has been beyond FAITHFUL to each of us. This amazing story is just beginning to unfold. There are major twists and turns just around the corner, and we are humbled and excited to be a part of it.
As I sit at my desk this morning with the sun rising and streaming in through the window directly onto my face, I can FEEL His LOVE, POWER, GRACE and PEACE in a way that almost takes my breath away.
We had been home from Africa for just a week last summer and Bret decided to head out on a 15 mile bike ride to get some much needed exercise. I was out in the yard pulling weeds as he left and we joked about whether or not he was too out of shape to handle that length of ride. He assured me he had his cell phone and would call me if he got too tired and needed me to come pick him up.
It wasn't but 15 minutes later that an old, red and white pick up truck pulled into my driveway and an older man asked if I was Mrs. Perkey. He went on to explain that he and his son had come across my husband sitting on the side of the road with his bike. They had called the EMS for him and they wanted me to know.
I honestly cannot remember all that was going through my mind at that moment, but I grabbed my keys and told Emma to hop in the car with me to see what was going on with her dad. We pulled up to the spot, just 1/4 mile from our house, as they were closing the door on the back of the ambulance. The paramedic allowed me a quick peak at Bret before looking me straight in the eyes and saying, "don't try to keep up with us, we are going full lights and sirens - we think he is having a stroke."
Honestly.... time stood still for just a few moments.
As I drove to the hospital, I prayed out loud so Emma could hear me. Asking God to touch Bret, protect him and prepare us for WHATEVER He had for our family. I told Him that I TRUSTED Him... no matter what! That I knew HE had a PLAN... that maybe we did NOT understand right now, but I KNEW it was BEST.
When I walked into the ER, trying to shield Emma as best I could, Bret had no feeling and very little movement on the right side of his body. He could not speak any words, only sounds. He immediately knew who I was and fully understood what was happening. They immediately took him for a scan and the neurologist began to talk with me about giving him a drug they use to open the blockage and stop the stroke. He was explaining all of the RISKS involved with this drug - the potential for a bleed that could be fatal. My mind was racing... who could I quickly talk to that would help me make this decision?
At that moment, they wheeled Bret back into the room and he was SPEAKING CLEARLY, talking to the nurse and LIFTING his RIGHT ARM. What? The neurologist looked right at me and said, "I would highly recommend you NOT give him the drug at this point." And so the decision was made. Thank you Lord for that quick answer! Just as quickly, Bret's speech slowed and his movements became limited again... but it was just enough for me to catch a GLIMPSE of what God had in store for us. HE had this... ALL of it, and I just needed to be STRONG and WALK down the path HE was laying out before us.
And so, began the journey of a life time.... only the first of many MIRACLE MOMENTS over the next few months as we woke daily - EXPECTING the UNEXPECTED.
Diana
