{"id":19,"date":"2023-05-26T10:03:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-26T14:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hirtfamily.net\/chris2\/?p=19"},"modified":"2023-05-26T22:13:23","modified_gmt":"2023-05-27T02:13:23","slug":"beauty-in-the-hard-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hirtfamily.net\/chris\/2023\/05\/26\/beauty-in-the-hard-times\/","title":{"rendered":"Beauty in the hard times"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There is so much beauty in the hard times.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On my way to school these last few challenging weeks the Lord has blessed me with the view of these gorgeous trees.  I wish I could thank the person who planted them.  While we have lived in Chiang Mai for 13 years I am not sure I have seen this exact shade of this tree anywhere else. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lord, thank you for the beauty of people you have placed around us to love us and share our grief and struggle.  Thank you for the beauty of your creation; no matter the pain we are in your beauty is always there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The kids and I emptied backpacks, just like we did last year.  The kids and I packed our bags, just like last year.  We thanked teachers, said goodbye to our dog, and did the normal \u201clasts\u201d.  We boarded a plane to BKK, just like last year, but this time all without Chris. This time I can\u2019t help but wonder when we will return.   We need to continually trust the Lord for this.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lord, we want what you want, but you know our hearts and where we are in the midst of uncertainty, sadness, grief, and yet another transition with many unknowns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Leaving Chiang Mai<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We continue to wait for a biopsy and port placement appointment for Chris.\u00a0 Patience and waiting is not a strong area for me.\u00a0 God is using this to make me increasingly patient.\u00a0 Sometimes the waiting feels excruciating when I see and hear that Chris\u2019 health is declining further.\u00a0 Chris will go for an echo cardiogram today (Fri USA time).\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lord, please make a way, please open a slot for Chris to have the needed appointments soon.  Please help Chris\u2019 body to hold steady and not have further pain or weakness.  Please provide healing and strength in which ever way you choose.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I thank God for so many people holding us up at this time.  When I have been weak others have come to support.  I am no Moses but I can imagine his relief and thankgiving when Aaron and Hur came to support him in Exodus 17: 10-13.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you Jesus for sending people as tangible examples of you, providing your support, holding us up when we couldn’t do it on our own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Music is a place of solace and worship for me, here is what is on repeat in my head:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let it be today, we shout the hymn of heaven<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the angels and the saints we raise a mighty roar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Glory to our God, who gave us life beyond the grave, Holy, Holy is His name.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There is so much beauty in the hard times.   On my way to school these last few challenging weeks the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":21,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hirtfamily.net\/chris\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hirtfamily.net\/chris\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hirtfamily.net\/chris\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hirtfamily.net\/chris\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hirtfamily.net\/chris\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/hirtfamily.net\/chris\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32,"href":"https:\/\/hirtfamily.net\/chris\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19\/revisions\/32"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hirtfamily.net\/chris\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hirtfamily.net\/chris\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hirtfamily.net\/chris\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hirtfamily.net\/chris\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}