Love

I was so touched by a facebook update I read this morning that I had to share it.  First the backstory...

Aaron and Carrie Hoffman and their 2 children go to my St. Louis church.  They are an incredible family that I've known for probably almost 10 years.  A few days before this last Christmas Aaron collapsed at work and I believe he had a seizure.  They took him to the hospital and discovered a brain tumor.  They let him go home and spend Christmas with his family but then in January he was to come in to run a bunch of tests.  He had surgery a few days ago to remove a majority of the mass.  One side effect of the brain swelling (from the surgery) was that he was unable to speak.  It has been that way for a few days but now here was his wife's facebook update from last night.... 
 Carrie Hoffmann

Today has been a very emotional day for me.

Physically Aaron is doing great. He was up and brushing his teeth when I came in his room this morning. They had removed his bandages early this morning as well. As he stood before the mirror I could see he was upset by what he saw. He has a scar the shape and size of a horseshoe on the left side of his head. For some reason, they had shaved 2/3 of his head and left the rest. I just smiled and told him he was still good looking even though my heart was breaking for him.

Aaron works very well with the therapists while they are in the room and then stops trying to speak all together when it is just the two of us. He is so afraid of saying the wrong thing that he would rather say nothing at all. And, while I do understand this, it is so hard for me to watch him as he sits there, trapped inside his own head. I feel so helpless.

Later this evening the doctor came by with good news. He said that since Aaron was doing so well physically he may be able to go home tomorrow! Shortly after this announcement, while Aaron was in the restroom, I fell to pieces. I wasn't upset that we were going home, I was just overwhelmed. Our God is so good! Tomorrow I may be at home with my whole family once again!

After all our visitors left for the evening, I sat down with Aaron. I said, "I need you to talk to me. I don't care what you say, I just need you to talk to me. You talk to the doctors and you try to talk to visitors, now say something to me...anything." He paused for a long moment, trying to put the words together and then he said, "I love you. I love you. I love you." I am complete.

A little later I said to him, "The therapist said that you might want to try singing. She said that uses an entirely different part of your brain than speech. Do you want to try?" He nods yes. So I begin singing, "Amazing Grace"...

"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Was blind, but now I see.

When we've been there ten-thousand years
Bright shining as the sun
With no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.

Praise God"

He sang the whole way through with me, over and over, and over. My eyes are closed I am trying hard not to cry and to keep singing the words with him. When we finish the song, I open my eyes. His eyes are closed and tears are streaming down his face... We have both just been touched by the hand of God.

God is using this family in an incredible way.  The faith they've shown is so beautiful.  I hope you've been touched by this the way I have been.