Category Archives: Ministry
Our NICU Journey
When I last posted I was preparing to go into surgery on November 11th for my back. The surgery was a success and I’m home recovering. Six days into my recovery things got really interesting. My wife is pregnant with our third baby boy. We were supposed to have six weeks for me to recover before baby Luke was born, but he and the Lord had another plan. On November 17th baby Luke came into the world. I couldn’t even drive Ashley to the hospital. However, I was able to be there by her side for the delivery (in a chair).
God is so faithful. He knew that Luke would make his debut a bit early so my surgery was perfectly planned a week prior. The doctors say that Luke came just late enough in the pregnancy that he was out of the woods as far as major health issues. He was born at 34 weeks and 5 days (almost 5 weeks early). This birth was unlike our other two. Because he was so small the birthing process was very quick and we didn’t get to spend time with him initially. Within seconds of delivery the nurses whisked him away to the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) and he’s been there ever since. We’re now beginning day 5. Luke is healthy and everything looks good, but he needs to eat more and grow stronger before he can come home. It’s hard leaving him each night at the hospital, but the folks in the NICU are amazing.
I’ve been astounded by the Christian witness in our county hospital. Since arriving in the NICU, Luke has been given a hat made by a local church, a care package from a ministry and today he even got his own little Bible. The love of Christ is being proclaimed to the smallest ones of Spartanburg and to their families. We’re very thankful that baby Luke is doing well and that the Lord has us in this place with great doctors and nurses to help him grow strong and come home soon.
Far More Than A Helper
This week in the Neighbors’ household the roles are reversed. Ashley is in Orlando with a group of our teenage girls from Morningside attending the Blume Conference. This “girls only” event has been a great way for Ashley to further connect with the ladies in our student ministry, and a way for me to step back from the lead for a moment. During these days away from full-time ministry I’ve been keeping the home front going with our two boys who are full of life and energy (that’s code for: wild and crazy).
For several months leading up to this week Ashley has been saying, “You’re not going to know what to do without me while I’m gone to Blume.” Whenever she would bring it up I would laugh it off and pretended that I was going to be fine. However, on the inside, I knew it was going to be really hard without her. This week has given me a new appreciation of what Ashley does as the homemaker in our family.
From the very beginning God knew that man needed help. Genesis 2:18 says, ”The LORD God said, It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” For some of you, that may seem chauvinistic, but it’s the truth. God made men and women to be together and to help one another in this life. It certainly is true for me. I don’t know where I would be without Ashley. She is far more than a “helper” to me. She makes managing our home, raising our boys, and serving in our church all at the same time look so easy. Heck, I had trouble this week just trying to go by the office for a minute with the boys.
One year before I answered the call to full-time ministry (back in 1993) I met and began to date Ashley. I didn’t know it then, but God’s provision was right on time. Even before He called me, He equipped me. The Lord provided the best part of my ministry – my wife!
