Maybe you've heard this song on the radio; I can't even remember who sings it right now. "His love's like a hurricane, I am a tree, bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy. When all of the sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory. And I realize just how beautiful You are and how great Your affections are for me. Oh, how He loves us. Oh, how He loves us, oh, how he loves!" I felt these words (I've heard them many times before) just a few days ago as the song played on my car's radio. My dad has polycystic kidney disease, causing the function of his kidneys to fail. After his kidneys dropped below a certain level of function, he was put on two donor lists in order to receive a transplant. They told him the average wait-time to receive a kidney was five years. God had a plan. When my parents began to spread the news of my dad's condition, we were blessed beyond belief by several people who came forward to be considered as donors. One of those people proved to be a match, and the planning and testing for the transplant began. Surgery was scheduled for December 10, 2009. A week before the surgery, final blood tests were done on my dad and his donor. On December 8, my dad found out that there was one antigen in his blood that had changed, which meant he would reject the kidney. The surgery was cancelled. It was a hard realization to grasp. God still had a plan.
On Saturday, January 2, 2010, the University of Toledo hospital called my dad about a kidney they would be receiving. He and my mom drove to Toledo for final blood tests. They waited at a hotel while the rest of the family waited by our phones. The transplant coordinator called my parents to let them know that there was a good chance that my dad's antigens would be too high to match. God had a plan. At 5:00 Sunday morning, the final match was confirmed. The surgery ended up being Monday morning at about 9:00.
My dad was supposed to have surgery on Tuesday, Jan. 5 to prepare a spot in his abdomen for dialysis. The dialysis would start on January 18. Instead, he was blessed with a young, healthy kidney a day earlier! We are still praying for the continued health and recovery of his body. His attitude and faithfulness amaze me. My dad has had several difficult health issues to overcome, and through them all, he has been a shining testament for his savior. I am so thankful that God has given me an earthly father to mirror my heavenly father.
When the realization of the surgery, and the prospect of a better quality of life, finally hit, my dad's affliction was 'eclipsed by glory', the glory of our faithful God who plans and provides for our needs. My dad, and our family, have been showered with prayer throughout this entire process. Oh, how He loves us!
I love you, Dad!
