Roller Coaster

I have gone back and forth over the past few months deciding whether or not I should write about this...and well I need to.

Most of you who read this, know me and in turn know my family! Which means you know my brother, Jonathan Woodlief. I rarely write stuff about Jonathan's illness because I always want that to be his story...but it is part of me as well! Jonathan got married in October to an amazing woman, Caitlin, whom I am blessed and so proud to call my sister! She is a rock and so solid in her faith! God knew exactly what He was doing when he put these two together!

So, now onto the point of this post. Since September of 2010 Jonathan's health has once again become a roller coaster of ups and downs. His kidney from the first transplant (June 2000) started failing due to the return of Lupus. All of that said, over the past few months Jonathan and Caitlin have begun the process of being on the transplant list and praying for a match for Jonathan.

The doctors had been pretty honest in saying that his chances of finding a match were VERY slim. Due to his prior transplant and many blood transfusions it would just make it very difficult for anyone to match. That news has been so heavy...but hope was not lost...Jonathan, Caitlin, my mom, our whole family has been holding HOPE knowing that those odds are without the God factor!

Up against seemingly hopeless odds, lots of people were tested to be a match...everyone denied...EXCEPT Caitlin! His Wife! It is nothing short of a miracle! We (doctors included) have been blown away...and so excited! We still are...but as with life there are some complications.

Over the past week, Jonathan has become very ill. Through out Jonathan's journey of having Lupus (17 years now) his body has more than struggled to just get over little colds and things that our bodies can shrug off.

As of this afternoon, Jonathan is in the hospital, with his prayer warrior wife, Caitlin, by his side and an army of prayer warriors stretching across the map holding him up. They are continuing to test him to find a reason for his body being so sick...and are trying to get his white and red blood cell count up! They are waiting to hear if he is going to have to have another blood transfusion (which they are trying to avoid at all costs, due to the fact that it will change his antibodies and Caitlin will no longer be a match).

Also, this week they found an abnormality on one of Caitlin's kidneys so they will now have to wait 3 months, rescan her again before they can move forward with a transplant. So, in the meantime other people can continue to be tested to see if there is another match.

So, what now! Life in general is a roller coaster, full of moments of extreme highs and lows, happiness and sadness, and of joy and heartbreak! This is no different...but for Jonathan and Caitlin, for me and our family...this is a roller coaster we can choose not to be on. But, instead, to choose to hold fast to the HOPE and TRUTH that God's word gives us!

To know beyond a shadow of a doubt that "And surely I (GOD) am with you always..." - Matthew 28:20b, "For I (God) know the plans I have for you...plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you HOPE and a FUTURE"- Jeremiah 29:11, "For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is not hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." - Romans 8:24-25

I am putting in something that Caitlin emailed to me...a few verses that they are holding onto...

We have been so encouraged by John 11:1-6

The two things that really stick out to us are:
#1. the line:"This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”- we pray that that this happens, not just in our situation, but in all the stories of those around us suffering.
#2. the word "so"...

it's such a small word, but look how it is used:

"Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. ⁶ So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was."

You would expect it to say, Now Jesus love Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So he rushed over as soon as He could and saved the day, but it doesn't say that. What it does tell us, is that He loves them, so he doesn't rush over to save the day...yet.

So we hold onto "so" believing that God loves us, so.... we are still waiting for the rest of this part of God's story that involves us and everyone reading. We have no idea why God planned it in such a way that I would be a match and then have abnormalities show up in tests, for Jonathan to have the flu and for everything else that is happening, but we are trusting that He loves us, so he is waiting and He wants to use it for His glory.

We also choose to see how God has been so faithful to take Jonathan through so many ups and downs with his health over the past 17 years.

So, I am sorry for the long post, and this leaves out lots of details and information...but we believe in the power of prayer and so I want as many people as possible to be praying for Jonathan and Caitlin!

Some specifics to pray for:

1) Jonathan's body to respond to the medications

2) his red and white blood cell counts to go up

3) Wisdom for all of the doctors and nurses surrounding him

4) Strength and rest for both Jonathan and Caitlin

5) That if Caitlin can not do the transplant that we can find a better match soon.