Count your Blessings

Not a day goes by that I don't count my blessings. I think that has probably been the thing impacted most by our experience this summer with Nate. After Nate's accident, he was taken to Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. I worked there many years ago before our second daughter was born. I had wanted to work there again for about a year now but it just didn't seem like the right position was available. I applied for an ER position about a month ago and am excited to say that I got it. I am orienting right now and as a part of that, the nurse educator in the ER took me on a tour of the ER. She stopped in a trauma room to show me the various equipment available and it just "happened" to be the room that Nate was brought to. Many emotions washed over me at that moment. Just earlier that same day, I had been studying for a required course, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, during a break that I had in orientation. As I was reading it, I read the harsh information that only 4% to 13% of those children that experience a cardiac arrest outside of the hospital, will live to leave the hospital. I know what I saw on July 31st was a miracle, but this made it even more real to me. My husband and I were at church two weeks ago and the theme was being thankful as it was the week after Thanksgiving. The pastor gave the church the opportunity to come up and share something that we were thankful for. I have felt the need to share Nate's story ever since it happened but hadn't been given the chance at church. The week of his accident, I called and asked that a praise be added to the bulletin so some of the congregation knew that he had nearly drowned but none of the details surrounding the event. As Carey shared some of the details of that day, I could tell that it had an impact on those that heard. Several people came up to us afterward and were so excited to meet Nate and just so thankful to God for sparing his life. My husband related a story to me this past week that gives me chills. My mother-in-law was in town recently because our three oldest girls were running a half marathon and she came to cheer them on. The girls and I had already left for the race early that morning so didn't get to hear this story first-hand. She came into the kitchen to eat breakfast and Nate was sitting there munching on his cereal. He told her very matter-of-factly, that that night before, God had woken him from his sleep and told him "I love you very much and everyone loves you!" Nate then continued to tell his grandma that he had told God "I love you too" and then said that he went back to sleep. I was blown away when I heard the account of this little four year old boy. After hearing it, I wanted to ask Nate about it myself. It had been a couple of weeks since he had first told his grandma and not that I doubted what I'd heard but I wanted to hear it from his personally. As I asked Nate about it, he told me word for word what he had told his grandma originally (keep in mind that this was several weeks later). God loves all of us so personally and to know that He would assure a little 4 year old boy of that, gives me a glimpse of the depths of His love.