Dear Friends, as many of you know the results of my biopsy came back yesterday with positive results that I have slipped back in and am presently in a mild organ rejection. So what? Whats the big deal? Right after my heart transplant I had a couple back to back results of rejection issues and they cleared up. But I also realize that the farther you go out from a transplant the more serious rejection issues can potentially become. I know you may become weary of sharing continued thoughts about my transplant, especially when I know we all have concerns we deal with everyday with family, friends, finances, and just the daily struggles we all face. I have never wanted or tried to make myself feel or want to be special because of this heart transplant. But I do realize that if God had not intervened when he did I probably in human terms could very well not be here today. It is almost 2 years to the date that my cardiologist told my family and I that unless we considered a transplant I may not be here in 2 years. So this time and this part of the year I am made aware of how God chose to do something in my life in a very unusual way, and answer prayers of not only my family but the church not just locally but the church universal in ways that were above and beyond what we asked for. And my encouragement to people has always been,( though I feel so unworthy that God would do this for me) is that I am an answer to prayer and to always remind parents that when their children see me and knowing that some of these parents gathered in their times of devotion to pray for "Mr. Brooks", that I want their children to see and know how God heard their prayers and answered them in specific ways.
So I am naturally disappointed with the results. I only human. But the question now becomes do I let this rule my life? the answer is of course NO! I submit these things to God's providence and working in my life and still under news like this continue to give my all and life for the glory of God each and every moment.
As most of you know music has been a very important part of my upbringing. And since my transplant there have been songs that have moved me to tears. I feel music can come to us in specific times in our life and the message of the song can be the exact expression of our emotions and events in those times. Yesterday was one of those moments. When I got the call from my nurse I had playing on my MP3 playerr a song by Robert Critchley called "My troubled soul"
My Troubled Soul (Praise the Mighty Name of Jesus)
Robert Critchley
"I am leaning, leaning, leaning on the Everlasting Arms"
“MY TROUBLED SOUL, why so weighed down?
You were not made to bear this heavy load.
Cast all Your burdens upon the Lord;
Jesus cares, He cares for you.
Jesus cares, He cares for you.
And all your worrying
Won't help you make it through.
Cast all your burdens upon the Lord.
And trust again in the promise of His love.
I will praise the mighty name of Jesus,
Praise the Lord, the lifter of my head.
Praise the Rock of my salvation,
All my days are in His faithful hands.
My anxious heart, why so upset?
When trials come, how you so easily forget
To cast your burdens upon the Lord;
Jesus cares, He cares for you.”
It was a conviction after the moment I hung up the phone and very disappointed that I paused to listen more intently to these words and was reminded that Christ does care for us in the very minute to the greatest of all trials He may put us through, and that all of our days are in His faithful hands. Well I know this has been a lengthy post, and if you have read this far I thank you for your indulgence. It has encouraged and strengthened my heart to know of your many prayers of my brothers and sisters at Edgewwod, and for the prayers of new friends I have connected with from my old High School.
May we continue together to pray for one another and come along side one other with words of encouragement as we continue on our pilgrimage to the great city of Heaven...."what a day that will be, when my Lord I shall see, what a day wonderful day that will be!"
Steve
Comments (2)
I pray a prayer of thanks ! I thank the Lord for giving you the chance to grow closer to Him these last couple of years and for you being part of xanga so we could come to know you !
Even if you reject this hear you found the heart of God that will never fail you and it truly will be with you everlasting !
I praise God for this gift for me and for others and pray to share it with many more ! In his hope and love by His grace,
Barry
Hello Steve,
You made your site simple yet elegant. I see that God is foremost in your mind as you go about your daily activities. Now is a good time! I recommend the one true God, Jehovah.
I want to help people to really get to know God, especially in these troubled times. Here is an important message for all of us from the Bible: 44 "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. (Daniel 2:44) (NIV)