"I AM has sent you..." Exodus 3:14

Moses was surprised in the least at the command God had given him - "so now, Go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt." I'm sure Moses had the fleeting thought, if not a full thought, of explaining to God the enormity of this request. I'm sure he could have listed the number of ways it could go wrong or the number of doors that would slam in his face; he could list the people by name who would look at him like he was an idiot and scoff at his request; he could think through the protective measures Pharaoh had taken to keep the Israelites from escaping and the amount of authority it would take to veto Pharaoh in his attempt to oppress the Israelites.

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Chad Lusk - a depiction of handsome meets mountain man. He and his wife, Kathy, have lived at the base of beautiful Mt. Emily since I can remember... memories of that beautiful place include the following:

- watching terrified as bats flew past outside while sleeping on the floor of the Master bedroom in a sleeping bag (don't remember why I was sleeping there or what the visit entailed)
- playing hide-and-seek on their beautiful acreage at the same time the green river killer had a media presence. I remember Matt (Chad's son) trying to freak me out a little while hiding out behind the barn... I was sure he'd be my "knight in shining armor" and not let anything happen to me - oh, little girl crushes...
- the loft overlooking the living room
- Amy and Clay's beautiful wedding reception on the deck overlooking the valley
- during that reception Kathy was mortified to find out that the pig Chad had decided to bury and cook wasn't completely "done" and therefore he found the best solution to be butchering it himself, finishing it on the BBQ and serving it to the guests...
- he "totaled" more Mercedes than I can count... at least it seems that way
- pack rats filled his Mercedes with dog food during one winter -- the engine, the pipes, etc.
- at a young age, Matt and my brother, Geoff, were awoken by a bear going through the garbage as they slept out back on the trampoline -- I believe Geoff about peed his pants while standing motionless as Matt tore off for the safety of the house
- Liberty, their golden retriever, and the other dog... a black lab whose name I can't remember!
- Mimi - the "smoosh-faced" cat that Kathy adored. We acquired many-a-pictures of that feline throughout the first months of them owning it
- ordering pizza only to find out that the "pepper" atop the pizza was actually dead fruit flies falling from the dining room lights above... we had devoured the pizza...
- the crawl space between Matt and Amy's room
- the hikes up Mt. Emily
- the 1/2 mile long driveway -- not to mention the 1/2 mile long driveway with walls of snow on either side...
- the sound of the ATV back and forth outside - I can still hear it as I sit here typing... it was one of those sounds that when I hear it to this day I think of the Lusks still!
- the smell of the inside of the barn
- and oh so many more memories...

Chad was recently diagnosed with brain cancer after experiencing a stroke this past spring. Since that time he has been given a 0% chance of recovery due to the inoperable growth in his brain and his prognosis has been undefined. During the last few months he has experienced highs and lows but thanks to Chef Kathy at his side he's not in want of fantastic organic meals or supremely healthy shakes... (or so I hear from my Dad who has had the pleasure of experiencing this cuisine while staying with Chad and Kathy at their home in La Grand.)

Monday night, October 6th, Chad came down with pneumonia - an infection of the lungs. Pneumonia is the "most common fatal infection acquired by already hospitalized patients" and Chad was in no better shape. His immune system was compromised by the aggressively growing cancer and he quickly became debilitated due to its effect on his system. Tuesday afternoon, October 7th, the doctors gave him a prognosis of 24 - 48 hours and it was more likely the lesser of the two. Family made their way to his side from all over the country in expectation that these would be their final moments talking with Chad and expressing their gratitude for the man that he's always been to his wife, to his children and their spouses and to his grandchildren... and beyond that into the lives of his friends'.

Tuesday night when my Dad arrived at the Lusk home, Chad was barely conscious. He was able to squeeze my Dad's hand in an effort to signal his awareness of my Dad's presence and words. His lungs were filled with mucus and fluids and it was becoming an even shorter prognosis rather quickly. Would he even make it through the night?

LESSONS IN PRAYER

As I drove home from a friend's home late Tuesday evening I began weeping. I thought of everyone surrounding his bedside at that moment praying and asking God for His hand of protection, of healing, of sovereignty, of comfort... and what would it be like to witness the air in the room shift as God began healing Chad at that very moment right in front of everyone. I thought about the glory that God would receive and I believed that it could be done if God's will was such. God stirred my heart to stop simply praying the words, "your will be done..." but instead interjecting the desires of my heart into that prayer. I felt as though he was chastising me to pray the words my heart was longing to pray... those words were this: "God, I pray you heal Chad and bring him to full restoration of health." I have been praying those words ever since that night -- day in and day out.

THE DAY DAWNS

Chad is awake at 5:30am, October 8th, speaking a word here and there... he's beginning to smile and drink fluids on his own! The hospice nurse mentions that in her 28 years of practice she has witnessed the spike of energy before the impending last breaths of life which are usually only hours away. But as the day progressed and Chad continued his escapade of speaking words, laughing and drinking fluids, the nurse became less familiar with the scene at hand.

God was at work.

He is a God who makes the ordinary things extraordinary. The ordinary day was now an extraordinary moment in the eyes of everyone around. Night fell and Chad had not slipped back into his previous state of unhealthy but instead left people to search their hearts and pray in ways they've never experienced before... in the least, I'm speaking for myself.



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In Exodus 3, Moses practically interrogates God at the scene of the burning bush. Who am I, God? Who do I tell them you are, if in fact I do go? What if they do not believe me? What should I do I am not very eloquent in speech and am slow of tongue? PLEASE SEND SOMEONE ELSE!

As I've studied Moses during these last few days I have become reminded of God's authority and power to bring about freedom and restoration for His people. He can do anything that he wants to do and it is expected that we pray in such a way that we are not swayed by our finite understanding and therefore limiting our requests of the God to whom we're speaking! I sensed an anger burning towards me as I sheepishly asked God for "His will to be done" with Chad although my heart was burning with other desires and requests. It was not the simple prayer of Him completing His will in the situation that angered Him but yet my lack of belief and fear of disappointment. Like my Mom mentioned on the phone - the same God who led His people out of Egypt and brought his people to the Promised Land is the same God that resides over the Lusk house right now and listens to the prayers of His people as they beg for healing.

ANOTHER DAY DAWNS

Today, October 9th, Chad is putting full sentences together, sitting up in bed, asking for a shower and desiring more to eat than just applesauce. I imagine his family is walking around shaking their head and chuckling as they praise the God who is Sovereign and learning a lesson in endurance as they continue to pray for the healing of a man so deeply loved...

All Glory to God.