The Next Phase

8/12/2011:  1:57 PM

Wow. Where did this week go?  I apologize for falling behind on the blog.  It has been a hectic few days.

Davis has felt awesome all week.  He has felt close to his old self. He still manages to nap every day, and he still grazes between meals, but other than that (and the obvious medication routine), things felt back to normal.



Dr. Coffey and the floating head prepping
the patient

On Wednesday, Davis was entertained by Annakate. She is amazing. She has such an imagination and figures out ways they can play together. He rested most of the day to save energy for church. I was very apprehensive about letting him go to his Wednesday night church class. It is safe to say that I have morphed into Marlin, Nemo's dad, nearly over night. It just goes to show that God provides you with the perfect soul mate, because Kyle is a nice balance to my overprotective, stick-my-kid-in-a-bubble approach. Kyle thought attending class would be perfect timing since his counts were building and we had an appointment on Friday (usually sickness takes two days to manifest).  The doctors also feel it is important that we try to provide him with a seemingly "normal" life when his counts are high enough. He loved it.  Despite the precautions put in place, he enjoyed it and participated in everything with the exception of tug-of-war. A few of the girls, with their sweet nurturing spirits, looked after him. He now refers to them as his bodyguards.



performing the procedure

On Thursday, I met with his school principal, district nurses, and his fifth grade teacher. They are really bending over backwards to accommodate Davis and his needs. I am so appreciative of their willingness to go the extra mile to make Davis feel normal and included. And I know very well as an educator myself, that many of the accommodations and arrangements they are making are not required, and this is just another example (as I have heard many in the past) of how the administration and staff place the well-being of their students first. I am really looking forward to easing into the school year. Jefferson feels like home already.

annakate provided entertainment by using her hair
to make unibrows, moustaches, and goatees

On Thursday afternoon, Davis's friend, Drew, brought him a blizzard. They were able to visit for awhile too. It was the highlight of Davis's day. Unfortunately, I have very little details (and no pictures) because I was meeting with the teacher who was hired to replace me this year. I am never shy in saying that I work in one of the best school districts in the world and we function as a close-knit family, helping and leaning on one another. Needless to say, asking for a year off was heartbreaking for me. I love my job. I love the students I have been privileged to teach and befriend over the years. And I have figured out that the joy and happiness and worry they bring to me every day far outweighs what I have to offer: English knowledge and a listening ear. I know they do more for me than I feel I can do for them, so that is why this temporary leave is so difficult. I am grateful; however, to be able to leave my students in good hands, so that I can focus my attention and care on my son. 

taking advantage of the cooler temps

 Davis's ANC (immune system) was below the recommended 750 required for the chemo scheduled to start on Friday. His was 704. We were told to come down to Children's on Friday, and the CBC would be repeated. If his levels were too low, chemo would be postponed a week while his counts continue to build.  That brought us to today.

The doctors decided it was a go on chemotherapy today even though his numbers might not be ideal. They said there is no real risk and felt it was appropriate to pass on to the next phase. One of the chemo meds he is getting today requires major hydration to protect him from bladder irritation and bleeds. Our appointment this morning was at 9:30, his port was accessed at 11:00, and he is just now getting ready to receive his first chemo treatment. He had to be hydrated for up to two hours previous to the treatment and four hours after the treatment. We are hoping to be out of here by 5:00 or 6:00 PM. My, this makes for a really, really long day. Kids weren't designed to sit around this long.



being casted for chest guard

Oh, Davis met with an orthopedic and prosthetic specialist to be casted for a chest guard.  This will allow him to participate in mild or moderate PE and recess activities and more importantly, baseball in the spring.  He was able to pick out a design/color for his guard, and he chose camo.

We will be down here the rest of the weekend. Davis has three more days of chemo.  For awhile, his chemo treatments will be Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.  We meet with the radiology oncologist on Monday.  We were relieved to find out that Davis will only have two weeks of cranial radiation this first wave of the consolidation phase.

We have been reminded quite a few times today that this phase is as equally intense as the induction phase. Many children struggle with the side effects of the medications. We are praying these side effects off of him. We are praying that he will take this chemo well so that he can attend school for as long as possible. And of course, we pray every night for his healing and his CURE.

Thank you a thousand times over for your continued support and prayers. We draw strength from knowing that we are not fighting this alone, because we have an army of family, friends, and prayer warriors behind us.

We will keep you posted.

No News is Good News

8/9/2011: 10:56 PM

We really enjoyed ourselves last night. After Davis's P.F. Chang's experience, we hung out in the hotel and ordered a pizza for supper. He was feeling much better by evening and we were feeling couped, so we jumped in the car for a quick ice cream run. We relied on the TomTom to help us find an ice cream joint.  We were very excited when Edy's popped up on the TomTom. We followed the directions to an industrial park. Yep, the Nestle factory where Edy's ice cream is made. Not what we were expecting -- and no ice cream. We have to hunt and peck through ice cream shops because Annakate has an egg allergy, and many ice cream places use eggs in their recipes. After sorting through the TomTom list and out of fear of car sickness, we settled on an Oberweiss. As we were pulling into the parking lot, Davis blurts, "I am so lucky that I don't have an egg allergy, because that would stink." He cracks me up.

panera breakfast

We took advantage of our mini-vacation, and the kids and I stayed up until midnight to watch The Blind Side. They loved it. I had seen it before, but it did remind me how much I enjoy watching football. 

Pretty good day. We headed home from Chicago mid-morning, and boy, the drive felt unusually long. We tried to break it up some with little bathroom and drink breaks here and there, and we did stop and enjoy lunch and a little shopping in Champaign, but the ride was long. There's no place like home.



short hair



even shorter hair



We received a phone call from Davis's hemo oncologist. She had failed to mention part of the plan during our Friday discussion. She opened the conversation with "I have some news, and it's not bad by any means." I really think that is subjective. She informed us that the unofficial path report on Davis's bone marrow draw concluded her thoughts that his bone marrow is making about 3% of cancer blasts, which means he is in remission. She also shared with us that Davis will be starting cranial radiation in three weeks. This information was quite a surprise, as this had never been mentioned at previous appointments. She explained that Davis is high risk for relapse, and often if the cancer returns, it returns to the brain. The goal of this consolidation phase is to keep pumping chemotherapy into his central nervous system via spinal fluid and irradiate his brain to catch what the chemo doesn't.  This, of course, means more doctor's appointments and more short term and long term side effects.  So on Monday, we will meet with the pediatric radiation oncologist for a consultation.

Davis continues to shed. We decided it was time for yet another shorter haircut. The shorter do makes the thinning a tad more obvious. I think that adjusting slowly to the idea of being bald is the best approach for Davis. He sure has had hair a lot longer than expected.

This day has proved to be a long one, but an enjoyable one too.  Kyle focused devotions tonight on Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." I tell you, these scriptures have taken on such a deepened meaning as we continue to turn over our worry to Him. 

At this point, we know very little about the upcoming chemotherapy and radiation treatments.  We will learn more (and trust me, I ask a ton of questions) this Friday through Monday. My every prayer is that Davis will first and foremost be healed and CURED of this cancer. We continue to pray against ALL of the short term and long term effects, and we pray for his good health and strength to fight. With school starting soon, we pray for Annakate's health as well; it is important that she stays strong and healthy too. We ask that you continue to pour on the prayers and positive thoughts for our babies. We love, appreciate, and need them.  

We will keep you posted.  

Getting Back to Summer. . . Just in Time

8/8/2011:  5:20 PM

We had such a pleasant weekend . . . for the most part. Davis is chemo free for the week (other than what was put in his spine on Friday). The doctors cleared him for a few days of R and R while his counts build for phase two chemo on this coming Friday.  We are still very cautious because Davis's immune system is suppressed, and he is required to wear his mask while in public and wash his hands incessantly. He does take his mask off to eat and for pictures on occasion.



nothing is better than
fair food



Saturday, we were able to go to the fair long enough for Davis to fill his craving for fair food. We were nicely surprised when we discovered that there was all of thirty people on the grounds. I guess we picked the right time to go. After he had his much-craved orange shake-up, nachos, and snow cone, we headed home. We had an impromptu cookout with family, which provided much needed fellowship. Davis fizzled during the cookout and ended up on his little futon in front of the TV.  A few hours later, Davis was doubled over with intense tummy pain. We called the doctor who told us to wait it out a bit.  After some Oxycodone, he was peacefully resting. 



gotta love these kiddos
and sis. dee

On Sunday, Davis woke up with a migraine. He still managed to get ready for church. We are sure to sneak in and sit in a secluded area. I head in early and wipe down the area with Lysol wipes, which has become second nature whenever we venture out in public. Davis's headache got the better of him, and he fell asleep and slept the entire service. As he was sneaking out to the car, his friends, very eager to visit with him, posed for a quick picture.



waiting for food and fun



Davis was hoping to go to the Dixie Stampede for vacation this year, but the drive to one is longer than he can bear riding in a car. We decided that the Medieval Times might suffice. We headed up to Chicago after church and attended the show. The kids loved it!  It was quite a hit.

We had fears of staying in a hotel because of all of the germs. We took precautions by Lysol wiping all the surfaces down and spraying Lysol on the bedding and carpet. We brought his own bedding, and he wears shoes in the room. I guess we can never be too careful.



P.F. Chang's  . . . before the
first bite

 Davis has been complaining for the last couple of days that his skin hurts. He kept telling us that he had a sunburn. We knew he didn't because he had not been outside long enough to warrant any concern.  I figured he had dry skin. He doesn't like using lotion, and he has been soaking in baths much more than he ever has in his life. Dry skin . . .yep. I have been rubbing lotion on him since Saturday, and I picked up some Aloe after church and rubbed it up under his shirt to put his complaints to rest. Last night, it was a surprise to see that he had developed a lacy rash. Once again, another phone call to the doctor was made. It was agreed that it was probably a reaction or side effect of the Methotrexate that was placed in his spine. We are watching him for fever just in case it is not a side effect and is the beginning of a bacterial or viral infection.


he'll sleep well tonight

We ventured out today some. It was short lived. We ate a P.F. Chang's, and Davis became sick on bite #1 . . . headache, belly ache. We headed back to the hotel room, where he took a nap and woke up in a much better state. He even felt up to swimming. The hotel that we were staying at has a fantastic and super large indoor pool. The chemo medication placed in his spine makes him extremely sensitive to the sun, so the indoor pool was ideal. We practically had the whole pool area to ourselves (minus one other person).





We are so thankful that Davis and the rest of us were able to get away, even though it was short lived. And with the exception of a few hiccups, Davis has felt well and continues to build strength. We plan on using the rest of the week to get our affairs in order for the beginning of school.  I can't believe how quickly it is approaching.

We ask that you pray for strength for Davis. I worry about the upcoming chemo days that coincide with the starting of school. May the side effects be non-existent. We still pray for healing and CURE, as these are of the utmost importance. God works in His time, not ours.

Thank you. Thank you a thousand times over for praying with us.

We will keep you posted.

Information Overload

IPad makes the drive tolerable

8/5/2011:  6:00 PM

Let me lead by letting you know that Davis is in REMISSION!!!

Now let me fill you in on the day.

What a long day. We had to leave shortly after 5:30 AM to make it there by 8:30 AM for lab work, doc visit, and procedure prep.  Lab work came back pretty good. I was surprised to see that his white blood count, which has been hovering around 1.0 for the last couple of weeks, was up to 2.4. (Reminder: healthy children range between 5.0-10.0.) His hemoglobin had dropped a bit to 9.4, and his platelets were 124.  All OK to withstand his spinal chemo treatment today. His ANC (immune system) came up considerably; it is over 1100! (Reminder: optimal is above 1500)

Davis's bone marrow biopsy and spinal tap were underway at around 11:00 AM, and we were on our way home before 1:00 PM. He cried a lot while waiting for his procedure. No, not because he was in pain, not because he was scared. He was hungry. Needless to say, he ate Jimmy John's as soon as he was awake enough to eat.



yay! not losing weight anymore

While Davis was having his procedures done, we had an opportunity to talk with the staff about the next phase of treatment. If Davis is in remission, he would begin the second phase of treatment called "consolidation".  Consolidation phase is a longer phase (6+ months) that is designed to keep the cancer in remission.  He will receive chemo weekly (at times, four days in a row). There will be times when his counts (ANC and platelets) won't be high enough to receive chemo, so chemo will be postponed until his counts rise to a safe level. Understandably, chemo could last 6 1/2 months or 10 months. It all depends. The consolidation phase is best explained as knock-him-down-and-build-him-back-up phase.

As soon as we pulled in the driveway this evening, we received our much anticipated phone call from Dr. Shapiro. The preliminary results suggest that Davis is in remission!  Praise God! 0-5% cancer blasts present in the bone marrow is considered remission.  Davis was registering between 3-4%. While it was the hope that Davis would be less than 1%, we are still extremely grateful that he is in remission. Davis is considered high risk for relapse because he was treated with a round of steroids before we knew that he had leukemia. (This was back in June when we thought he had mono or some bacterial infection.) The steroids actually sped up the production of cancer cells in his bone marrow. We are awaiting the official lab results, which should come on Monday, but Dr. Shapiro felt very confident that Davis is in remission.



this is how his port is accessed. the
needle, which looks like a nail, is
visible in the clear plastic tubing



Davis will have a week off from chemo. On the 12th, we go back to start the consolidation phase.  And boy, it starts with a bang. He will receive quite a bit of chemo next Friday, and starting on Friday, he will have chemo every day for four days. This one chemo medication is notorious for making kiddos pretty sick. We are praying that Davis tolerates it better than most; he has done surprisingly well thus far. We are looking forward to our week of freedom and fun. Pending how Davis feels, we are hoping to salvage some of the summer and get out while his counts hold.

I can't express how thankful we are for all of your encouragement and prayers. Three weeks ago when we were told that Davis's bone marrow was producing 80-90% cancer cells, it seemed far from reality that he would be in remission in 29 days. But God is good to us and you have been good to us, and here we are.  I know that we are where we are - not by luck - but by the prayers and positive thoughts that have been offered on our behalf. It is humbling to know that we are so dependent on God's mercy and your kindness, and we are aware there may never be a proper way to repay all of it sent our way. The best we can do is to remember to pay it forward.

love this picture. love him more.

This journey has just begun. Although we have taken one gigantic step in the right direction, there are many obstacles ahead. As we continue to pray against short term and long term side effects, we will focus our prayers on staying in remission . . . forever. We will be praying against this "high risk" label and relapse. My last plea offered up before I close my eyes every night is part of the prayer that I pray over Davis when I tuck him in at night. It is not complicated; it is not poetic. "God, please heal my son. Please cure him." I know He will. Thank you for your continued support.

We will keep you posted.

I Stand Corrected

8/4/2011:  3:45 PM

Davis and I enjoyed an afternoon of swimming. I was tickled that he went outside and stayed outside . . . and he played. The problem:  his hair.  It was everywhere. All over him, floating on top of the water, making its way into his eyes and mouth. He decided it was time for a haircut. I gave his hair a good trim, but it seemed that I combed more out than I cut. Plus, the texture is very wiry and frizzy in spots, if that makes sense. He lost even more hair when he showered. We thought a little gel might weight it to his head.  He is sick of picking hair off of his face and out of his mouth (but I guess not sick enough to shave it). 

Maybe it is the mom in me thinking this, but even with a whole lot less hair, he is still a pretty handsome little guy.




Pre-haircut: pool fun and everywhere hair

Post-haircut: bit of a Justin Beiber do

Keep you posted.

Counting Down . .the Hours!

8/4/2011:  1:02 PM

Not a whole lot going on here.



love seeing him do
what he loves



Davis feels great and is going stir crazy. He is ready to get back to his summer:  boating, camping, slumber parties, Fair, canoeing . .  . all the things we do every summer, but haven't been able to do much of yet. He thinks he has it all figured out. He filled me in today, "After the biopsy tells us I don't have cancer anymore, I am going to the Fair on Saturday, and then on Saturday night, we are going to have a big party since I will be in remission."  I just don't have the heart right now to tell him that his plans are unrealistic. It seems I am always telling him no. I truly wish it played out that way though. The reality is that even though we are believing that he will be in remission tomorrow, his counts will still be monitored, he will still be susceptible to bacterial and viral infections, and he will still have many, many more chemo treatments. We are trying to find the balance between his old life and activities and his new life filled with medical concerns. Regardless of these new issues, as soon as his counts (blood counts - most specifically his immune system) are high enough, we plan on doing most of those things that he so loves and craves.

errand running

In the meanwhile, we continue to hang out here at home with the exception of when Davis runs errands with me. Errand running isn't really necessary, but it gives him an excuse to get out of the house but remain in a protected environment - the car. He did get to visit with his friend Wade today as I had to return some things to his mother. It was a quick visit outside, and Davis did nearly all of the talking. When we hopped back in the car, he said, "Mom, that was so fun. That was the best." Who knew that standing outside in the 85 degree heat in a driveway for ten minutes would be the highlight of his day? It dawned on him several minutes later that his friend Gage wasn't going to be in any of his or his buddies classes this year. With a concern tone, he frowned, "Mom, I am worried about Gage. He's not in our (his buddies) classes.What's he going to do?" I reassured him that Gage had many, many friends, the they would all see each other on the playground. I am just so moved that through this whole experience, Davis continues to worry not for himself but for others.  He has such a tender heart.

This is what we find
when Annakate hasn't
been properly tucked in.
Can't trust her to go to bed
on her own.



Our home routine is not routine at all. Davis fiddles on the computer or his Ipad quite a bit. We don't watch much TV as we find there is nothing of real value on (except Shark Week has provided Annakate and me with some entertainment). We continue our new tradition of movie night. Last night we watched Rango, even though Davis doesn't really care for it. Tonight, he chose Tangled. Actually, I convinced him to choose that one because I haven't watched it yet. You gotta love the power of persuasion.

Davis's physical features continue to change slowly.  His face and his belly have rounded out considerably. Side effects of the Prednisone. He continues to slowly lose weight, which is noticeable in his arms, legs, and neck. I can wrap my hand around his upper arm. I have always joked that I have man-hands, but his arms are unusually thin. I tell him he is going to have to lift weights as soon as he feels better. He is shedding. I am constantly vacuuming and changing pillow cases because his hair is everywhere. He refuses to cut it; he says, "It's going to fall out anyway." He's right. I will just keep cleaning until it has all fallen out, I guess.



big hand or tiny arm?

If all goes well (his hemoglobin and platelet counts are high enough and he has no fever), Davis will have his bone marrow biopsy and spinal tap around 10:30. We are counting down the hours to prove how God and the medicine works. We should have preliminary results by Friday evening. We are praying and believing for remission and CURE! We thank you for doing the same. 

We will keep you posted.





Ready for Routine

 8/2/2011: 2:00 PM

QQ . . couldn't be happier

Davis seems to be adjusting to the chemo more so than he has in previous weeks.  We did not see the muscle weakness and leg pain like we have in the past. And although he has severe nausea, he has only been physically sick one time. What a blessing. We have met other children at Children's who are physically sick from the chemo the moment they receive it, and some have to be hospitalized due to the side effects that they experience. We have been very fortunate that Davis has tolerated the chemo so well.

just half of the very thorough food list

The weekend was peaceful. Davis's every waking moment still revolves around food.  His latest cravings have been QQ Buffet, Jimmy John's, and Pagliai's. We manage to run to town when we can to meet his needs. We don't necessarily cater to his every food need, but it is important that he keeps eating, and there are few foods he enjoys anymore. His little gold personality has created lists of all the foods that he eats.  He has created columns and a key labeling each food good, bad, or medium.  Bad represents all of the foods that upset his stomach or foods that are off to his taste buds.  The list, four total sheets, covers the fridge and is conveniently located for us to check.



hundreds of cards

It took the greater part of the day yesterday to read all of the cards we have received over the last couple of weeks. I think I enjoyed it more than Davis. A "shout out" to the children at the Livingston, Texas Pentecostal Church who hand made Davis the most precious cards with scriptures, words of encouragement, and prayers. We feel the love from Texas all the way up here in Illinois. We can't begin to properly thank everyone for the shower of cards filled with love and encouragement.  We appreciate you all.

Davis does seem to have a bit more energy lately.  He now takes naps willingly, something I have always dreamed of since he was born, but now the appeal of willful napping has lost its oomph. I would have liked for him to nap when he was two. Oh well. Energy . . .yes. He manages to aggravate Annakate often, and I am grown accustomed once again to her yelling, "Mom, tell Davis to leave me alone!"  He is figuring how to work the system too.  Whenever he and Annakate are rough housing or wrestling, and he is losing, he starts hollering, "Ouch, my port. My port!"  She could be tickling his feet, but he will say his port hurts in an attempt to get the upper hand. She is catching on though; I am not sure how much longer she is going to fall for that one.  Needless to say, I think it is time for another lesson on "The Boy Who Cried Wolf".

night swimming . . .
isn't that a song?

Since Davis melts in the heat, we save our outside time for nighttime. Kyle managed to convince Davis that an evening swim would make him feel better. They had a great time. Me - not so much. I remained on the deck until the mosquito and horse fly action became more than I could stand.

Poor Annakate . . .
being tickled and tormented

Davis, feeling more like himself every day, is ready to get up and get out. He so desperately wants to get back to a routine: school, church, friends, lessons, etc.  He longs to go to the fair. Yesterday, I had to be the bad guy and tell him no. I even called the clinic to confirm my decision, because it is one thing to believe when Mom tells you no, it is another thing when the doctor says no. Grandma and Grandpa Coffey did bring him fair food, which brought him some comfort, but it is not the same. I know that forgoing events and places he loves is so hard, especially when he feels well, but it is what is best in the long run. I just hope he doesn't lose sight of that. 



today . . .crazy hair day at
volleyball camp

 Many have asked how Annakate is adjusting to all of this change. She is doing quite well.  Being a high energy child, there are times when she is bored, but she manages. I find myself telling her often, "hold on a sec" as she demands a lot of attention. Kyle and I make sure that we take individual time to spend with her, since her interests and abilities are much different than Davis's at this point. I am so thankful that our schedules afford us flexible time to spend with both of the kids. I think we will all do better when we have a consistent routine of school and music lessons, because we love being active and involved.

It wasn't long before Davis was diagnosed that I was telling my friends about a song that I was drawn to. I am not sure if you have heard it; it is titled "Blessings" by Laura Story. As my students can attest, I love music and have always connected emotion to it. I have always been impressed by the talents of people to catch a feeling or capture a thought in such a poetic way. Anyway, this Laura Story song ministers to me all of the time - literally. We play the song over and over again on the long trips to St. Louis. It seems whenever I turn on the radio, it is playing. And on the rough nights when I am sleeping in Davis's room, I am wakened throughout the night for no known reason, and that song is playing -always- on the radio that is never silent. If you are not familiar with it, I encourage you to check it out. I continue to find comfort in it.



Davis became super tough when Val walked in to
draw his blood

I just heard from the clinic on Davis's counts today. His white blood count is holding at 1.0 (healthy kids between 5-10); his hemoglobin responded to the transfusion on Friday and is up to 10.7 (healthy kids are around 15), which would explain the new found energy. Unfortunately, his platelets clotted, so he will have to be redrawn on Friday for a platelet count. A sustainable platelet count is important and necessary for the spinal tap he will receive on Friday. His ANC (immune system) had dropped as expected from above 600 to 461 (above 1500 is normal). But thankfully, still no cancer blasts in his blood. 

Friday is the day which we ask you really hold Davis up in prayer. If all his counts are good, he will undergo the bone marrow biopsy and spinal tap mid-morning. We should know by evening if he is in remission, and we are believing that HE WILL BE IN REMISSION. This is the first mile marker of many on his road to his CURE! We know that you will continue to offer up well wishes, positive thoughts, and prayers on Davis's behalf. And we continue to thank God for his many blessings. 

I have decided to close with a portion of "Blessings" from Laura Story.  I just love it too much not to share.

We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering

All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?

What if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough

And all the while You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

When friends betray us, when darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?

What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst
This world can’t satisfy?

And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise?

We will keep you posted.