Tomorrow is Palm Sunday. It is the great and humble entrance of the Lord Jesus into Jerusalem. It was a magnificent day where the people supported our Lord for who He is-the son of God. That day the people knew. They knew He was the One. They supported and accepted that fact and because they knew He was the Son of God by the miracles He performed and by the way He loved, many of them couldn't honor Him enough. They didn't know what to do when they saw Him coming. Shouldn't there be some sort of honor for the Son of God? What can we do? We line the street, we give praise to the Father for sending us Jesus! Right there they had conversions. On this day, people asked questions. On this day when people asked, "Who is this Jesus?", they were told, "This is the One! The Messiah! The King! He's come to Jerusalem to take his place on the throne and save us!! The one we've been waiting for! Truly he was sent by God!" Many of them grabbed palm branches off the trees to lay down as a carpet for Him. Who was the first person to do it? Does he or she know what they began? Did he or she know we would be remembering this for eternity? I'm sure they didn't. But they knew they had to do something for Jesus; something worthy of the Lamb of God who has come to take His place on the throne. It would be the last time they would support Him while he walked this earth...
I can't imagine a better way to usher in Jesus this Palm Sunday other than with a gift of praise. This is a wondrous hallelujah story from my friend become client, Mandy Chan. Mandy and I attend church together and her story at our Women's Ministry Kickoff Dinner had tears rolling down my cheeks in a steady stream. I don't think there was a dry eye during most of her talk. She is an example of faith to me and she's risen with God's help to conquer unspeakable odds. Although her life still isn't easy, she has her Lord to thank for her wonderful son Cameron's life. Enjoy this amazing story and all glory to the Comforter.
Mandy Chan: "Let Go and Let God"
I have struggled with this concept all of my life and sometimes I still do. When I had Cameron from the very beginning God was teaching me to let go.
Cameron was born at The Woodlands Hermann Memorial hospital on June 16, 2009 at 24 weeks gestation and weighing 2 pounds. Cameron was the youngest baby born to date at The Woodlands Hermann. The Doctor called my Mom and Doug out into the hall and told Doug all the complications and Cameron’s survival rate. The Doctor told Doug to make a choice on whether they should even try to resuscitate him. Hermann flew in a team of Doctors to help him through his first few hours of life. That was the first time Doug and I had to “let go and let God”. The Doctors worked for 20 minutes resuscitating him and since that moment Cameron has fought for his life with a passion.
I remember lying in bed worrying about his eyes opening because Cameron’s eyes were still fused shut. I would cry and pray for his eyes to open. Cameron opened his beautiful eyes on July 4th 2009. Doug and I joked that Cameron wanted to see the fireworks. I remember the first time I held Cameron, it was skin to skin and the nurses called this Kangaroo time. Kangaroo time would help him feel and smell me since he was not in the womb. I would also bring a doll home and sleep with it and then bring it back to Cameron so he could have the smell of his mother in his incubator. Cameron had a lot of struggles, but we made it through every one together as a family. Doug and I described it as a rollercoaster we didn’t know if we would ever get off and be a normal family.
A month into Cameron’s life I was told that he had 24 hours to live and that I should come to the hospital. I was with my grandmother and I got down on my knees and cried and begged God not to take Cameron home. I got to the hospital and prayed with Gail Matthews and my husband Doug Chan and we prayed over Cameron. I will never forget that day because we let go and let God. All of my life I have tried to control what I could because I was scared. But I couldn’t control what was going on. I was in a state of confusion most of the time.
When Cameron was life flighted downtown to Hermann Medical Center because he was not thriving and needed more advanced care. Once again this decision saved Cameron’s life and I feel God’s hand was involved. Doug and I worried about how we would be able to stay with Cameron and where we would stay downtown. We lived an hour one way. But then God came through again using our Bammel church family. I have never experienced such love from a church. Our Bammel church family was so gracious with their love donations. They found us an apartment and paid for one of month of groceries and parking passes. It would not have been possible for us to stay with Cameron if it were not for our Bammel church family.
After Cameron was life flighted we found out that everyone is born with a hole in their heart and it fuses shut by itself. Cameron’s hole in his heart was 4 times larger than the Aorta. The doctors informed us that Cameron would have to have an emergency surgery that would be 5 hours long. This surgery required a pda ligation this is where the doctors would clamp the hole together. We were very scared and worried about this surgery but yet again God and Cameron taught me a valuable lesson. Let go and Let God.
With all the surgeries Cameron has been through I have learned to let go on every one and God always was faithful and seemed to pull Cameron through the worst. Recently Cameron had a surgery to remove his trach. I worried for months about his vocal cord being damaged through the process of the surgery. The surgery turned out better then I could have ever imagined it to be. The doctor came to Doug and me and said there was a new procedure that he wanted to try on Cameron. This new procedure would not require the rib reconstruction. This surgery had only been done 9 other times in the USA. We agreed and when everything was all done Cameron was extubated and he cried for his music box and I cried with him I knew he was okay.
Cameron is an amazing little boy when I first brought Cameron home I told myself that I would not treat him as if he had a disability. When we were trying to get him to sit up I remember working hard to try to leave him in the high chair most of the day so he could learn to sit up. We would play and interact with him. It was also the same with crawling, because it was a struggle to get him to crawl. We worked together as a team and I remember crying and getting frustrated but the day he started crawling was quite a wonderful day. I am reminded of the time the doctors came to us and said that Cameron would be a vegetable and that he would never sit up, crawl or walk and asked us to turn off the machines because he was worried about the quality of Cameron’s life. I said no and I told them that if God wanted to take Cameron home that he would have already and that it was not my place to decide. I am glad that we decided against the Doctor and I wish that same Doctor could see that he was wrong.
When you go through struggles and you look around and you can’t see God your mind naturally goes in a state of panic. When I was downtown I remember looking up into the night sky and I had just had a not so great day. I had tears streaming down my face and I looked up and I questioned God do you still love me? God is always faithful and loving and kind. God has many mysterious ways of letting his children know that he loves them. 3 days later I received a letter in the mail from someone that I didn’t know at the time. We eventually became friends. This letter stated that God does still loves me! Every time I think about that letter I get a warm feeling in my heart because now I know.
There are so many things about Cameron that I could worry about. But God and Cameron working as a team constantly reassures me that everything will be okay. My child has such a passion to live and works hard on things that many people would take for granted. I am constantly reminded every time I see my child walk of how great our God is. My family and friends lives have been changed by the miracle of Cameron. That is why for the rest of my life my son will be a living testimony to this world of God’s great and beautiful miracles. I have learned through all of the struggles we went through that when you call God, God will come and he will take over and walk you through. All you have to do is say God I need you and God will come running. God loves you and I hope God speaks to your heart just as he has to mine.
Mandra Chan
I can't imagine a better way to usher in Jesus this Palm Sunday other than with a gift of praise. This is a wondrous hallelujah story from my friend become client, Mandy Chan. Mandy and I attend church together and her story at our Women's Ministry Kickoff Dinner had tears rolling down my cheeks in a steady stream. I don't think there was a dry eye during most of her talk. She is an example of faith to me and she's risen with God's help to conquer unspeakable odds. Although her life still isn't easy, she has her Lord to thank for her wonderful son Cameron's life. Enjoy this amazing story and all glory to the Comforter.
Mandy Chan: "Let Go and Let God"
I have struggled with this concept all of my life and sometimes I still do. When I had Cameron from the very beginning God was teaching me to let go.
Cameron was born at The Woodlands Hermann Memorial hospital on June 16, 2009 at 24 weeks gestation and weighing 2 pounds. Cameron was the youngest baby born to date at The Woodlands Hermann. The Doctor called my Mom and Doug out into the hall and told Doug all the complications and Cameron’s survival rate. The Doctor told Doug to make a choice on whether they should even try to resuscitate him. Hermann flew in a team of Doctors to help him through his first few hours of life. That was the first time Doug and I had to “let go and let God”. The Doctors worked for 20 minutes resuscitating him and since that moment Cameron has fought for his life with a passion.
I remember lying in bed worrying about his eyes opening because Cameron’s eyes were still fused shut. I would cry and pray for his eyes to open. Cameron opened his beautiful eyes on July 4th 2009. Doug and I joked that Cameron wanted to see the fireworks. I remember the first time I held Cameron, it was skin to skin and the nurses called this Kangaroo time. Kangaroo time would help him feel and smell me since he was not in the womb. I would also bring a doll home and sleep with it and then bring it back to Cameron so he could have the smell of his mother in his incubator. Cameron had a lot of struggles, but we made it through every one together as a family. Doug and I described it as a rollercoaster we didn’t know if we would ever get off and be a normal family.
A month into Cameron’s life I was told that he had 24 hours to live and that I should come to the hospital. I was with my grandmother and I got down on my knees and cried and begged God not to take Cameron home. I got to the hospital and prayed with Gail Matthews and my husband Doug Chan and we prayed over Cameron. I will never forget that day because we let go and let God. All of my life I have tried to control what I could because I was scared. But I couldn’t control what was going on. I was in a state of confusion most of the time.
When Cameron was life flighted downtown to Hermann Medical Center because he was not thriving and needed more advanced care. Once again this decision saved Cameron’s life and I feel God’s hand was involved. Doug and I worried about how we would be able to stay with Cameron and where we would stay downtown. We lived an hour one way. But then God came through again using our Bammel church family. I have never experienced such love from a church. Our Bammel church family was so gracious with their love donations. They found us an apartment and paid for one of month of groceries and parking passes. It would not have been possible for us to stay with Cameron if it were not for our Bammel church family.
After Cameron was life flighted we found out that everyone is born with a hole in their heart and it fuses shut by itself. Cameron’s hole in his heart was 4 times larger than the Aorta. The doctors informed us that Cameron would have to have an emergency surgery that would be 5 hours long. This surgery required a pda ligation this is where the doctors would clamp the hole together. We were very scared and worried about this surgery but yet again God and Cameron taught me a valuable lesson. Let go and Let God.
With all the surgeries Cameron has been through I have learned to let go on every one and God always was faithful and seemed to pull Cameron through the worst. Recently Cameron had a surgery to remove his trach. I worried for months about his vocal cord being damaged through the process of the surgery. The surgery turned out better then I could have ever imagined it to be. The doctor came to Doug and me and said there was a new procedure that he wanted to try on Cameron. This new procedure would not require the rib reconstruction. This surgery had only been done 9 other times in the USA. We agreed and when everything was all done Cameron was extubated and he cried for his music box and I cried with him I knew he was okay.
Cameron is an amazing little boy when I first brought Cameron home I told myself that I would not treat him as if he had a disability. When we were trying to get him to sit up I remember working hard to try to leave him in the high chair most of the day so he could learn to sit up. We would play and interact with him. It was also the same with crawling, because it was a struggle to get him to crawl. We worked together as a team and I remember crying and getting frustrated but the day he started crawling was quite a wonderful day. I am reminded of the time the doctors came to us and said that Cameron would be a vegetable and that he would never sit up, crawl or walk and asked us to turn off the machines because he was worried about the quality of Cameron’s life. I said no and I told them that if God wanted to take Cameron home that he would have already and that it was not my place to decide. I am glad that we decided against the Doctor and I wish that same Doctor could see that he was wrong.
When you go through struggles and you look around and you can’t see God your mind naturally goes in a state of panic. When I was downtown I remember looking up into the night sky and I had just had a not so great day. I had tears streaming down my face and I looked up and I questioned God do you still love me? God is always faithful and loving and kind. God has many mysterious ways of letting his children know that he loves them. 3 days later I received a letter in the mail from someone that I didn’t know at the time. We eventually became friends. This letter stated that God does still loves me! Every time I think about that letter I get a warm feeling in my heart because now I know.
There are so many things about Cameron that I could worry about. But God and Cameron working as a team constantly reassures me that everything will be okay. My child has such a passion to live and works hard on things that many people would take for granted. I am constantly reminded every time I see my child walk of how great our God is. My family and friends lives have been changed by the miracle of Cameron. That is why for the rest of my life my son will be a living testimony to this world of God’s great and beautiful miracles. I have learned through all of the struggles we went through that when you call God, God will come and he will take over and walk you through. All you have to do is say God I need you and God will come running. God loves you and I hope God speaks to your heart just as he has to mine.
Mandra Chan
2 comments:
Love you guys, Everytime I see you post about a new accomplishment, it raises my spirits and I thank God for such a wonderful blessing
Veronica
Makes my heart smile, Doug. Love working with you and watching y'all's little man grow.
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