A letter from Vicki - Seth's mom

Dearest Friends and Family,

I have struggled to write this letter since we were given Seth’s surgery date. But the time has arrived. Seth has been scheduled for open heart surgery November 27. We are to arrive at 6:30 am and they plan to take him at 7:10. With that said, Brent, I, and Seth are coming to you to ask for prayer coverage during this time. We believe in the power of prayer. The Lord said where 2 or more are gathered in my name I will be there also. The father gives us so much hope and power in the scriptures. He wants us to claim his promises, and that is what we are doing. Psalm 86 is our constant prayer:

Hear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy,. Guard my (Seth’s) life, for I am devoted to you. You are my God; save your servant who trusts in you. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I call to you all day long. Bring joy to your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you. Hear my prayer O Lord; listen to my cry for mercy. In the day of my trouble I will call to you for you will answer me. Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord; no deeds can compare with yours. For you are great and do marvelous deeds, you alone are God. I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave.

Last time Seth had open heart surgery, Brent and I were the ones stepping out in faith and trusting God for Seth had just turned 2. There was a continuous battle between life and death for those first two years. But, as Brent recently said, “For the last 7 years we have been living on easy street.” Now we are here again. But during the last 7 years, Seth has grown into a wonderful child, who shines like a star for Christ. He loves Jesus and accepted him as Lord of his Life. We talk about heaven and how good it will be. Seth has amazing faith that God will see him through this. He knows God has a plan and purpose for his life, but most of all he serves a God that loves him and is able to meet all of his needs!

How God has blessed us. We lift Him up as the One who deserves ALL the glory and praise and honor. We serve an awesome and powerful God. He is the giver, sustainer and perfector of life. Psalm 9 says, "I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart. I will tell of your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you. I will sing praise to your name O Most High." We are praising the Lord that Seth has been able to sustain his previous Heart repair for a full 7 years. We are praising the Lord for all the times he gave Seth life when we were told he was dying. We praise him for 10 years of life with a miracle child. We praise God that we have had untold opportunities to share the love of God with others that did not know the Father because of Seth's life.

Psalm 33:1, 4, 6, 9, 11, 15, 20-22 says: "Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him. For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever. He who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you."

We do put all of our hope in the Lord. Everything we have is because of Him. Every day is a gift. The same God, that with a breath, created the heavens and the earth, created this dear child that we love. He created his heart, and knows all that Seth does and has yet to do. He is help during this time. He will hold Seth through every step of this surgery and recovery. He will be Seth’s protector and shield as the enemy will fight for Seth’s life. Every time that Seth has gone in for a heart surgery, the enemy has fought every ounce of the way for this child’s life. But he belongs to the Lord, and as before we are believing in God for his protection.

Psalm 34: 1-4, 7-8: "I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him."

We pray knowing that the Lord will hear us. We are seeking him, and praise His name, Seth is not living in fear of this surgery. He does not want to do it, but it is not consuming him. The Lord is with him.

There are some very specific things we would ask you to be praying for as Seth begins this battle:

- The blood for transfusions during surgery would be pure
- No surgery complications
- Easy transition off of the heart and lung bypass
- That his heart would start beating immediately
- His heart would not reject the new material being placed in it
- They would be able to put him to sleep before starting the IV’s.
- That his last moments awake would not be filled with fear
- That he would feel the presence of the Lord with him
- That his lungs would be strong and he would be able to come off of the ventilator easily. During his last open heart surgery, his nurse almost killed him by pouring fluid down his vent tube and clogging off his airway.
- No air bubbles in his IV tubing
- God’s strength and peace to walk us through every day of Seth’s recovery
- Nurses and staff that would be God fearing and tender with Seth
- The children would not feel displaced during this time
- Caleia would adjust well to all her caretakers and sleep for them at night.
- That the Lord would use this time to speak compassion to the older boys. That they would truly understand the power of the Lord.
- That God would get the glory in all that is about to happen
- That Brent and I would have and take the opportunity to share our faith with other hurting parents that don’t have the hope of Christ.

Thank you for your prayers. There is nothing like the body of Christ to come along side you in a time like this and help. I think of Abraham when he could not hold up his arms and pray, Aaron came along side of him and held is arms for him. Thank you for holding our arms. You will never know this side of heaven what it means to us! Prayer is our greatest tool against the enemy, and we want to be ready for the battle in front of us.

Isaiah 25: 1, 4, 8 and 9 says; "O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago. You have been a refuge for the poor a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces. Surely this is our God; we trusted in him and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation."

Isaiah 43: 18-19 say’s: "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up, do you not perceive it?" God has given us so many miracles in Seth life it is amazing. But I don’t think we are only supposed to hold onto the past, but look forward to today. We serve a living God that cares for us, and wants to show all those around that He IS STILL GOD!

The attached picture of God's beautiful child may help bring us all closer in thought as we pray for Gods perfect will.

In Gods Love,
Brent, Vicki, and Seth