Samuel Is An Alien and So Am I – Take Me To Your Leader

As I begin my day this morning with my usual routine of stumbling to the coffee maker, then to the shower, then to my knees at my favorite chair I begin to talk with God…

My mind is so full of thoughts about my son Samuel… hopes, fears, joys, concern, hope, love and, well, the words will not come out to express my emotions…  I am not even sure I have a good grasp on how I am feeling… regardless of me, and my thoughts, my heart continues to cry out to God and here is how God answered in his still soft way this morning…

Psalm 95:1-96:13, “Come let us sing to the Lord, let us shout to the Rock of our salvation…”

Then I looked down at my right hand and saw the yellow plastic hospital bracelet with an aqua snap.  I was given this bracelet to wear when I arrived at the Ronald McDonald house… and met my amazing little boy with a smile bigger than his face waiting with great anticipation behind the sliding glass doors to tell me about his days adventures and show me his new comfy PJ pants and super cool Colts slip on slippers.  I was bursting with joy to see him and my amazing, beautiful, incredibly accomplished super, wife, mother and friend… The reason for my excitement was not only because I was thrilled to see them both and be able share this monumental experience together, but also because I had a totally unexpected gift for Samuel that I knew he was not expecting, really wanted and was sure it would be a while before he might get it.  So as I, with great pride and joy  grabbed him up in my arms and kissed his neck and squeezed him as tightly as I dared, I then gently set him down on his precious feet and casually gave him a plastic Game Stop bag and stepped back to take in his response!  Precious, beautiful moment, nothing to do with the gift, everything to do with the look on my precious, beautiful sons face…  His reaction and surprise was like having warm liquid joy poured all over me and soaking me to the bone!

Ok, back to the yellow plastic bracelet with the aqua snap.   As I looked at it again today (thinking about Samuel being in a brain scan tube today and the numerous blood draws and PT that are down the road, and many other new, unexpected things…) I was reminded of my private vow that I would not take it off until Samuel was through this and/or I was given or asked to put on a new one to wear during our different stays at the hospital.  This morning, with my head full to the point of bursting and my heart filling with joy and hope from the Lord and his soft, gentle, faithful voice I saw with new eyes the word “GUEST” on the yellow bracelet with the aqua snap that I had been wearing since Tuesday.  I was immediately reminded of God’s very clear word that we are not of this world, we are aliens… in this world, but not of this world.  I think this little yellow bracelet with the aqua snap changed my life this morning…

God reminded me in this gentle, quiet, incredibly loud moment… that He is in control and the worries, sicknesses, diseases and problems of this world do not apply to me, Samuel or my family.  God is in control and these outward, human things (for lack of a more descriptive way of expressing) are at worst only distractions and at best (and probably more correctly) incredible opportunities, and precious moments with God to know Him more and draw into Him closer…

So as I cry out to God with praise, and all my human emotions, fears and questions, I also praise Him because I along with Strong, Unwavering Samuel…

and the rest of the Springer crew (Precious-Faithful Mary,

Compassionate-Wise Noah… …Noble-Determined Elijah and Joyful-Passionate Levi).. …are all fearfully and wonderfully made… (Psalm 139:14), precious treasures that will not lose heart… (2 Corinthians 4:6-7, 10-18), God knows the plans He has for us as we seek Him with all our hearts… (Jeremiah 29:11-13); so we will continue to praise the Rock of our salvation through this… (Psalm 95:1-96:13) and continue to pursue righteousness and love in all things… (Proverbs 21:21)

Then I got in the car and headed down Van Avenue to City Hall and this is the song God sang to me “Our God” by Chris Tomlin…

Ahh… God is good… All the time… God is good…

Phillip Samuel Michael Springer my Hero…