I am sitting in the waiting room of the surgery center of St. Luke’s Medical Center as I write this blog. My son Brendon, is having his sixth and, hopefully, final reconstructive surgery on his cleft lip and palate. The purpose of this surgery is to move and rebuild his nose and, hopefully, to perform some final plastic surgery on his lip if everything else goes well.
Sometimes I ask God why but mostly I thank him that we live in a day and age in which our son can receive the best medical treatment available and that we have the means to provide it for him.
As parents, our hearts have ached many times for the pain that we have watched our son go through. There is the physical pain of the surgeries themselves but there is also the deeper emotional pain experienced by a young boy who has always been very sociable and yet who has had to struggle so hard to be accepted in social circles that find it difficult to look past the exterior differences.
Often I look at Brendon’s cosmetic handicap and wish it were not so and yet I wouldn’t trade it for the world if it was a necessary part of who he is today. Perhaps God, in his infinite wisdom, knew that this circumstance was just what was needed as he was sculpting Brendon into the young man that he is today. After Brendon was admitted to surgery we went across the street to have breakfast with Sharon’s parents and during our conversation I commented that he is one of the finest young men that I know. Yes, he has his imperfections, like all of us, but they are, shall we say, cosmetic.
I am so thankful for the friends and family that have surrounded us with love and support throughout the years. Most notably, I am thankful for Sharon’s parents, Ted and Shelia Davis, who have traveled thousands of miles and sacrificed hundreds of hours of their time to be present with us for every single one of Brendon’s surgeries.
As the surgery is underway I pray: “Lord Jesus, guide the hands of the surgeon that you have prepared for this occasion. Let the outcome be good and let Brendon have a quick recovery with minimal pain and complications. Give him peace during his healing time and draw him closer to you. Thank you Lord for blessing me with such a great son and for blessing us with so many loving friends and family. Amen.”
Sometimes I ask God why but mostly I thank him that we live in a day and age in which our son can receive the best medical treatment available and that we have the means to provide it for him.
As parents, our hearts have ached many times for the pain that we have watched our son go through. There is the physical pain of the surgeries themselves but there is also the deeper emotional pain experienced by a young boy who has always been very sociable and yet who has had to struggle so hard to be accepted in social circles that find it difficult to look past the exterior differences.
Often I look at Brendon’s cosmetic handicap and wish it were not so and yet I wouldn’t trade it for the world if it was a necessary part of who he is today. Perhaps God, in his infinite wisdom, knew that this circumstance was just what was needed as he was sculpting Brendon into the young man that he is today. After Brendon was admitted to surgery we went across the street to have breakfast with Sharon’s parents and during our conversation I commented that he is one of the finest young men that I know. Yes, he has his imperfections, like all of us, but they are, shall we say, cosmetic.
I am so thankful for the friends and family that have surrounded us with love and support throughout the years. Most notably, I am thankful for Sharon’s parents, Ted and Shelia Davis, who have traveled thousands of miles and sacrificed hundreds of hours of their time to be present with us for every single one of Brendon’s surgeries.
As the surgery is underway I pray: “Lord Jesus, guide the hands of the surgeon that you have prepared for this occasion. Let the outcome be good and let Brendon have a quick recovery with minimal pain and complications. Give him peace during his healing time and draw him closer to you. Thank you Lord for blessing me with such a great son and for blessing us with so many loving friends and family. Amen.”
1 comment:
Greg, our prayers are with Brendon during his recovery from this surgery. I am excited about his life and all that God is calling him to. I was checking out the program today that he will be attending in a few weeks and praying that God meets him there in a special way. This will be a great year!
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