Operation Little Chris: Success!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!!!!! I've been told that professional writers use exclamation points sparingly, if at all, but I don't care. I want to fill the page with them in thanks to God who has heard our prayers and answered favorably.

In what Daddy Daniel termed "the longest day of his life," little Chris underwent and survived a seven-hour heart surgery in Bangalore today. Because India is 11 1/2 hours ahead of Colorado, it was a long night for me. I think I talked with Daniel at least three times. It wasn't fair for me to get under my comfortable bed covers and try to sleep while Daniel was waiting alone in the hospital room. He would sit, then stand up, then sit, then get up and walk a bit, then come back and sit, then stand, etc.. "Where did you go?" I asked him. "I don't even know," he said. "I just kept my head down."

Normally upbeat and making jokes, Daniel's somber voice reflected his fear and vulnerability. We didn't dare speak the truth, that maybe he would not see his four-year-old son alive again. Instead, we prayed, talked about his childhood and my son's surgery a few years ago, and even sang a bit. Anything to keep him occupied and not feeling alone.

Now our prayers begin for a successful recovery. We need God to help little Chris's body respond well to his altered heart. At least in this phase, Daniel is able to see and touch his precious son.