Pray for Stellan-UPDATE to Blog Hop

MckMama, Baby Stellan's mom, created a blog carnival called Not Me Monday. It is rather hilarious and allows those of us who are imperfect mothers to pretend to be perfect, if only just for a moment.

However, many in the blogosphere have chosen to tribute this Monday's post to Praying for Stellan.

You see, when MckMama was pregnant with Stellan, she and her husband were told he would surely die from heart failure before delivery. And if he miraculously made it to delivery, he would surely perish shortly thereafter. But, God had a different plan and Stellan was born alive and is now 8 months old. However, as I type this, he is sitting in the PICU with his parents by his side with the doctors doing everything they can to keep him alive. He suffers from SVT, which is a really high heart rate. Today in fact he lost much of the color in his body and was listless. He's had lots of medications, many procedures and the doctors have been unable to get his heart rate to regulate. He's too young for a pacemaker and another ablation could be catostrophic. So right now the doctors are on a wing and a prayer trying to keep this sweet boy alive. All the while, there are three other siblings at home who are all 4 and under.

I have never met MckMama, Jennifer, in person. She wouldn't know me on the street if I passed her. So you might ask why I am so touched and moved by this family. It's because of their resolve to trust the Lord with their baby. You see, just over a year ago, my sweet boy had his tonsils and adenoids removed. Everything was so enlarged that his poor little throat was inflamed. He wasn't getting enough oxygen saturation when he slept, so what was supposed to be a quick outpatient surgery ended up being an overnight stay in the Children's Hospital. I remember in the wee hours of the night, after my wonderful husband had gone home to rest, how distraught I was. I was tired, my son was tired--but he was in pain. Poor baby kept asking for jello and Mac and Cheese to avoid laying down and realizing his pain. Finally in the early morning, my baby slept and I got a little rest on the parent bed. I remember how sad I felt for my son to be in that pain. And for the next week, spending hours on end and going without sleep for the majority of the night, wondering when I could stop giving him the pain meds and when he would finally be able to enjoy a decent meal again. That was a hard week for me. But then I look at the McKinney family. Do they get upset and sad about their son? Of course! They are human after all, but even after tears and anger, you can still hear them tell you that God is in control and knows the outcome of these dark days for their poor baby. It makes me ashamed that I was ever down over a tonsilectomy, or tube surgery or even a sinus infection in my own child. It teaches me that I myself need to learn to trust the Lord with even the smallest things--because I'm gonna need that trust when the big things come along.

So puruse on over to MckMama's website. Read Stellan's story. Take a few minutes to pray for this baby, his family and his team of doctors. Then, go hug your own children--and if they are healthy, thank GOD that in His provision He gave you healthy children.