“When the Red Sea saw You, O God, its waters looked and trembled! The sea quaked to its very depths... Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters—a pathway no one knew was there!”
My husband and I suspected that Myles would need another kidney transplant. It had been 17 years since his first transplant when he was a toddler, and his kidney function had begun to deteriorate. At first slowly. Then it got to the point that each doctor visit, each blood draw revealed that the speed of deterioration was accelerating.
And so did some other symptoms: Myles’ appetite had shrunk and he was losing weight. He’d begun having more and worse seizures during the COVID pandemic as his electrolytes were increasingly out of balance. The skin on his neck and face darkened as his kidneys were no longer adequately clearing all the toxins from his body. He had less energy; he had become a bit sluggish physically and mentally. We could tell he wasn’t feeling well.
He finally qualified for the transplant list; his kidney was functioning at less than 20% of capacity. So his name went on the 3-5 year long waiting list, and Terry and I planned (with his doctor) for Myles to begin peritoneal dialysis at home when the time came (when his kidney function dropped to 10%).
We planned.
We scheduled the surgery for the dialysis catheter to be inserted. We prepared all the necessary insurance paperwork for approval. We went to transplant training (again).
We did all the things.
We planned and we prepared.
We had done this before. The LORD had walked us through this journey 17 years ago, so (we thought) we knew what to do and what to expect.
Then things quickly took a turn for the worse. A trip to the ER after a tough seizure revealed a sudden decline in Myles’ kidney function. He had to start dialysis immediately in the hospital. A temporary catheter was inserted and Myles started hemodialysis—the type of dialysis done outpatient at a dialysis clinic three days a week, for four hours each of those days.
We had not planned for this.
Thankfully, as I processed my confusion, fear and disappointment with the LORD, He lovingly assured me that He was fighting for Myles so I could remain calm. That promise became my anchor for the journey that followed.
Photo credit: Ivana Cajina on Unsplash.com.
HE WAS FIGHTING FOR US
As part of the transplant training we had done, it was recommended that we ask family members and friends to consider donating a kidney. Live donors were always preferred because the outcomes were better. And securing a live donor would mean less time on dialysis and on the transplant list. We chose to NOT ask people for a kidney, but to seek prayer instead from a few trusted friends and family members.
A short while later we received a call from a couple who worked with Terry who informed us that the LORD had put it on their hearts for the wife to donate a kidney to Myles.
(WHAT???!!!)
We were beside ourselves with hope that she’d be a match. She wasn’t. Then, literally on the heels of that first offer, another friend called to say that the LORD had put it on her heart to be tested as a potential donor.
(WHAT?! AGAIN?!)
All this time that Terry and I were NOT asking people to consider donation, the LORD Himself was asking on Myles’ behalf. (He was fighting for Myles just like He promised He would). The second woman—Tracy—was a match.
It was after this incredibly good news that I found myself in the book of PSALMS, chapter 77. As I read, verses 16 and 19 leapt off the page and I almost leapt from my seat. They reaffirmed for me what the Lord had just done for us:
“When the Red Sea saw You, O God, its waters looked and trembled! The sea quaked to its very depths... Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters—a pathway no one knew was there!”
This Scripture obviously recalls how the Lord showed up on behalf of the Israelites after they’d left Egypt and were on their way to the land He had promised them. As they trudged onward, the Red Sea stood before them, blocking them from moving forward.
As the Israelites despaired for their lives, their God demonstrated again the power He was able AND WILLING to wield in order to protect His people and bring His promises to pass. In this case, even the Red Sea—upon perceiving YAHWEH’s Presence—had to yield. It had to submit to God’s plans.
The Hebrew word that is translated in PSALMS 77:16 as “trembled” can also be translated as “writhed.” It conveys the picture of a woman writhing in the pains of childbirth. As I considered that definition, I pictured the LORD “birthing” a pathway forward through the sea, and the waters writhing, trembling in pain in the process.
A pathway was created that no one knew was there. That no one could have created, but God. That would ensure that God alone received the glory.
And so was the case in our story. As we readied ourselves for the long wait on the transplant list and more years of dialysis, God had prepared a pathway forward that we didn’t know was there. He had placed a kidney in the body of one of His daughters, who He knew would obey Him when He asked her for it. Then He orchestrated our lives so that we’d become friends with the very people who God would use to change Myles’ life (and all of ours). God had set His multifaceted plan in place years before, and we were now living out another element of His good plan.
There would be no years on the transplant list or on dialysis. God had planned and created a pathway forward through which He alone would get the glory.
And none of us knew it was there.
BE ENCOURAGED
I hope my story encourages those of you who find yourselves in tough situations...the LORD is with you and fighting for you. I pray that you’ll:
-Trust that He has a way forward.
-Trust that His word is true and that He is faithful to keep His promises.
-Know that His ways are not ours; they’re higher—because He knows all things and can do anything.
-Trust that He has a good plan for you and your child.
I wish I could tell you the journey forward will be easy. I can’t. Ours wasn’t. In the interest of time and space, I’ve left out a lot of those details. But God was faithful to fight, strengthen, comfort and encourage. And there was (and still is) joy on the other side—unspeakable joy.
And our response, our only response, has been to praise Him.
May that be yours as well.
Sandy and her husband are parents to three young adult children. Their son was diagnosed with multiple disabilities 21 years ago after a devastating illness as a toddler. Following her son’s diagnosis, Sandy quit her job to become his full-time caregiver and advocate. Sandy is currently a Certified Professional Coach. Her focus is to come alongside other special needs parents—helping them to recognize choices that will enable them to reclaim freedom, renew purpose and reactivate joy. You can learn more about Sandy, her work and her blog at www.UNDisabledLIVES.org. You can also reach her at Sandy@UNDisabledLIVES.org.
