Like Father, Like Son

We spent the weekend unexpectedly with Jon Alex at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. His flu got so bad it left him severely dehydrated. He had been drinking less and less until he just quit drinking at all. Saturday morning at the health clinic we  were advised to take him to the emergency room for fluids. We drove to Nashville and took Jon Alex to the ER at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. By the way, for those of you raising children with special needs,  I was so grateful and encouraged by the way our family was treated at Vanderbilt Children's. They were not only professional, but very understanding, friendly, empathetic, and sensitive to our special circumstances.

We were admitted overnight while they pumped bag after bag of fluids into Jon Alex to combat the dehydration. Becky and I both stayed in his room overnight and took turns sitting by his bedside. So the three of us braced for a long night.

Around 1:20 AM during one of my shifts I found myself expressing a train of thought under my breath. As I did so, the Lord begin to speak to me in my spirit, and in doing so gave me fresh perspective as He began to whisper to me in my spirit as I whispered to Jon Alex.

"If I could just get him to drink so this would never happen again." If you would drink from me, you would never thirst again either.

"If he would just listen to me and trust me his father."  If you would just listen to me and trust me your Father.

"If he would just put his faith in me to help him, he would relax and be able to rest." If you would just come to me when you are weary and burdened, I would give you rest too."

"I wish you could speak to me and tell me what's wrong so I could help son." I wish you would just speak to me when something is wrong, I could help you too son.

"Son we will go through this together. I won't leave your side." Ditto.

"I will stay up all night to take care of you. Nothing will separate us." I never sleep or slumber as I watch over you in the night. And nothing can separate you from my love either.

"Son when you hurt, I hurt. I would give you anything, my most prized possession,  to take away the pain and hurt and exchange places with you." Son, I did give up everything, including my most own prized possession, my Son, to exchange places with you.

"I'm here. Whatever it takes." Me too. Whatever it took.

"I love you so much, you can't even imagine how I feel." I know how you feel. You get that from me.

After that, things seemed to go much quicker and peaceful as the four of us spent the night together.