Charlie - Surgery went well

I'm sorry I am not getting this posted sooner.  It has been challenging to be at the hospital and also run our household.  Keith is home with the kids so I can leave, but he is also trying to work and cover appointments for my mom.  

I think the kids are getting a little lost in the shuffle. Kawika (15m) is just starting to really walk.  The littles (Kapena 4, Kili 3) are good at both entertaining themselves and getting into trouble (or chocolate.)  The middles (Kainoa 9, Koa 7) are very capable, but not self disciplined enough yet (apparently.)  Kaleo (15)  is graciously carrying the load of helping with clean up and dishes and cooking and little ones. 

Today, when I got to the hospital my dad was out of surgery and I had just missed the surgeon’s ‘play by play’ to my mom.  Thankfully Lisa and nurse Jeanie were there with my mom, and helped her reiterate to me all the surgeon said...

• ...we are in “unchartered territory...”
  

• My dad looks more favorable today than he did a week ago...

• These surgeries could have been setbacks – but my dad is actually better (oxygen saturation better, lungs look better, blood pressure stabilizing) 

• The small intestine looked good on the outside – not sure about the inside.  

• They did do the Jejunostomy (A surgical operation to create an opening of the jejunum (a part of the small intestine) to a hole (stoma) in the abdomen.)

My dad is mostly out of it because of all of the meds.  But he does occasionally open his eyes and communicate. We have seen the doctors shake their heads in wonder.  We have seen them perplexed, and amazed. 

So now, they - and we - will be taking everything on a day by day basis. 

What is God’s purpose in all of this?  We don’t know.  

We do know that not a day, not a moment, and not a breath is worthless – or pointless – when each is lived for, committed to, and offered up as a sacrifice for the glory of God.  

Paul reminded the new believers on his missionary journeys, “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). And he told the believers in Rome that their sufferings were a necessary part of the path to eternal inheritance.

 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (Romans 8:16-18)

  By: John Piper desiringgod.org/Blog/Author/2_john_piper/>  

What is my dad’s primary purpose?  Same as ours – to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.  I believe he is glorifying God, even as he lays in the hospital.  God’s word talks about the destiny of His children...

John 3:2. "Beloved, we are God's children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be."

Right now those of us in this room who have been born again, evidenced by a growing Christlikeness—right now we are children of God. Right now we have an intimate relationship with the creator of the universe, right now we have the assurance that God is our Father and is for us, right now we possess eternal life which consists in knowing the Father and the Son.

The list of benefits of being a child of God in this present world could go on and on. But John's point here is to say that as good as it is to be a child of God right now in this life, it's only the tip of the iceberg of what is in store for us in the future...

We are sure that we will continue to be God's children throughout eternity. There is nothing greater that we can become than being God's children.   

"Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man all that God has prepared for them that love him" (1 Corinthians 2:9).

We Shall Be Like Jesus 
Verse 2 continues with the most staggering statement and promise imaginable. Yes, "now we are children of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him." We shall be like him. That's our destiny! We shall be like Jesus. No more awesome promise can be imagined; especially when we look at ourselves right now. When we look at ourselves, we see a little bit of the character of Christ. But when it comes right down to it, even the most mature Christlike person in this room still is wracked with sin. There are huge gaps in each of our lives that Christ has only begun to fill and to heal...But the glorious promise of this verse is that it will indeed happen. Not totally in this life. But a day is coming when we shall be changed, when we shall be like him! What a tremendous hope! What a deep comfort!

Of course, to be like him does not mean that we will become him. We will always be merely human; he will forever be the incarnate God. He together with the Father will forever be the object of worship; we will forever be the praisers of his glory. He together with his Father will forever be the source of life and light. We will forever be reflectors and sponges and beneficiaries. But we will be like him.

There is nothing left to be desired. There are no greener pastures anywhere. This is the end of our search.

Our hearts are made for God and we are restless until we find our rest in God.

excerpt: John Piper  

http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByTopic/18/483_We_Shall_Be_Like_Him/ 

Amen.