The Battle Plan...

…I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again.  For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD.  “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.  In those days when you pray, I will listen.

[Jeremiah 29:10-12, NLT]

I don’t know what the emotion of Monday morning will hold – as we are a little more than 24 hours from putting Jackson on the “altar” yet again.  I know we have experienced the depth of emotion twice before, but there are so many things we forget...


But I do know our emotion tonight… “confident”.  Not in our preparation.  Not in our knowledge.  Not in our wisdom.  Not in our experience or the comfort, security and familiarity of having been down similar circumstances before.  Not in the physical skill of our surgical team – though they are the best!  And especially not in our own strength or abilities.  Tonight, we are “confident in our stillness”.  We are confident in the presence, promise and power of our God – who indeed KNOWS THE PLAN!


When we packed for the trip north a couple of weeks ago, I really wanted to bring several books in my library - but yielded to the tug of the Holy Spirit to only bring 1 book - in addition to my Bible.  And so Experiencing God by Dr. Henry Blackaby has been the book that I have been studying and praying through this week, in order to align my thinking and perspective to God's in the midst of this valley.  Prayer and study of the scriptures are where Kelly and I find confidence as we "walk with God" through this storm!  

In my prayer/study time with God this week...here are the three key truths that have brought great encouragement.  

We trust that "God is Love" and that His Will is ALWAYS best!  [1 John 4:16] 

I agree with Dr. Blackaby that "this verse does not say that God loves, though He does love perfectly and unconditionally.  The Scripture says that God's essential nature is love.  God will never act contrary to His nature.'  (Experiencing God, page 21, emphasis mine).  And this Perfect Love of God overcame the troubles that we currently are - have in the past - and will face in the future!  We must hold tightly to the promise of Christ that in this world we will have troubles, but we are to take heart, being confident that God is Love, for Jesus has overcome this world by laying down His life on the Cross!  [John 16:33 and 1 John 4:9]

We trust that "God is all-knowing" and that His Directions are ALWAYS right!  He does not need to counsel with Garmin before making a turn.  He is not "re-calculating".  We never have to question His Will!  He knows what He is going to do...

We trust that "God is all-powerful" and that He can and will enable us to do His Will!  I believe one of the most mis-quoted/mis-interpreted verses in the bible is Philippians 4:13.  We all know it..."I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me".  And many use this scripture as encouragement for those facing difficult circumstances to say that the impossible is always possible.  Or that God can do all things.  But that is simply not true.  God will never act outside of His Perfect, Holy Nature or Will.  

I believe that God will engage, encourage and equip us to do all things - in accordance to His good, pleasing and perfect Will - through Christ who is our strength!  [Romans 12:2 and Hebrews 13:21]  The impossible is impossible...if it is outside of the Will of God!  But I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me according to the Will of God - even the impossible from human perspective.

We must believe that if He calls us to it...He will walk us through it!  And that is exactly what He is currently doing in our journey.  We are walking with God, and He hears our prayers, and sees are tears and will carry us through in His Perfect Love!  And our response must be one of trust.  For it is our responsibility is to listen and obey Him!  

My wise counsel once shared with me that the way to "walk by faith" is to "listen and obey".  Y'all - its time to walk by faith!  The Battle is on, and here is the "Battle Plan" that God has unfolded in the last 24 hours for Jackson's surgery on Monday.  

The Battle Plan:

We talked with the surgical team yesterday afternoon, but it took us 24 hours to get our heads and hearts around what they are going to attempt Monday morning.  We have a tremendous sense of peace and confidence with God's plan, and here is what we are facing...

• Jackson's surgery is scheduled to begin at 8:30am - he is the first and only case scheduled for Dr Morell on Monday.  
• Dr Morell and his team will begin the surgery by focusing their attention on "attempting to repair" Jackson's tricuspid valve, which is the valve separating the right atrium and right ventricle (the only two functioning chambers in Jackson's heart).  
• The tricuspid valve has been leaking since Jackson's second open heart surgery at 3 months old in March of 2010, but the leak has been increasing/worsening over the last 18 months and Thursday's Cardiac Cath showed a "significant" or "moderate" leak that must be addressed 
• On a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the worse/most severe, the surgeon classifies Jackson's as a 4  
• The surgical team shared with me yesterday that there is not a "fix" per say, but rather they will attempt to repair the valve with the hope of "significantly improving" it's function and increasing the overall efficiency of the right ventricle, which is now pumping all of Jackson's blood to his body. 
• After, addressing the tricuspid valve, Dr Morrell also plans to complete the Fontan Surgery, where he will connect the lower extremities return blood (Inferior Vena Cava) directly to the lungs (Pulmonary Artery).  
• This is the anticipated final stage of 3 stages in the re-engineering of Jackson's heart. 

Dr Morell and his team anticipate a 4-6 hour surgery, and a 10-14 day recovery period.  They will not be pressed for time on Monday, but know that the longer they have Jackson on ECMO (heart lung by-pass machine) the longer the recovery, and higher the risk of complete heart failure and infection.  

When I spoke with the team yesterday afternoon,  I did ask how we (including you) could be praying for Dr Morell and his team. They were so grateful that I asked, and told me, "they will take all they prayer they can get!"  I shared that we would be praying specifically for wisdom, clarity, decisiveness, and confidence in the Battle Plan, as I believe God will be working through their hands and minds on Monday morning! 

As we continue to "Be Still and Know that He is God" this weekend on the banks of a"flooded Jordan", I ask that you please pray for our family's rest, Kelly's health (as she is struggling terribly with allergies), Jackson's strength and our continued peace as we "wait on our Lord". Our specific supplication, and ask is....

"May He grant your heart’s desires

and make all your plans succeed. May we shout for joy when we hear of Your victory and raise a victory banner in the name of our God.

May the LORD answer all your prayers." 

[Psalm 20:4, 5 NLT]

We trust that His Presence will be whatever we need it to be!  The Will of God can never take us where the Grace of God cannot protect us!

This is God's journey!  God's story!  God's victory!  And it is God's promise that He will not fail us or abandon us!  He is with us every step of the way! (Joshua 1:5)

Continue to keep All Eyes on Jesus, and know that there are no words to express the depth of Kelly and my appreciation for your prayers!  To God be the Glory...