Bombs and all

“Having TSC is like walking in a minefield,” says Elizabeth Thiele, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Pediatric Epilepsy Program and the Herscot Center for Tuberous Sclerosis Complex at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. “You get over one thing, and you walk right into another. That's what sets this disorder apart from epilepsy. It's not just the seizures. It's not just the brain involvement. It's everything.”

After reading this I imagined us walking in the TSC minefield. Knowing that any step we take a new bomb could go off. I considered the stress level of constantly living in an unknown place. Relaxation is hard to come by, yet true peace has been ours. We know of others in the same minefield and hear bombs erupting near them. We know some have found a safe spot to rest and have even learned how to blossom here. We, the residents, care for one another.  A place where tears and laughter are often mingled together. Medical bills fill our mailboxes but, joy fills our heart as we look at our children. Sadly, some loose their marriages, their savings accounts, their faith, a few their children. Frankly, there are costs involved with living in such a dangerous place. There isn't a map to tell you when or where to go. So often, the only thing you know for sure is that you need help. That is why the neighbors and visitors become so important. They help you know that you weren't meant to carry this alone. The visitors, without even trying, remind you of life outside of the minefield. And that is good. In turn you remind them to cherish the life outside of this place. And that is good, too.  Not surprisingly they aren't part of a bomb squad and yet they come. They come?!? They come! It overwhelms you, the sheer number and tenacity of these friends, these visitors. They are a buttress in this foreign place. And, perhaps most importantly, they keep coming and keep reminding you of your Living Hope. The kind of Hope that doesn't fail.

The visitors and us, the residents, see God's mighty hand all over this complicated and messy field. It is true, there is no darkness that His light can not penetrate. There is no situation beyond redemption. We know this first-hand. So we've decided that while we're here, we'll build friendships, put down some roots, roll out the “Welcome” mat, plant a few flowers, and commit to honor God, whatever unexpected events come our way...bombs and all.

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Our happy boy.  Blissfully unaware of all that is before him.