-Written by Katy (edited by Anna)
As Stan was helping me dress the other morning, I turned to him and said, “We have tried to imagine that time in our lives when we could be disabled and dependent on each other, but never could we have imagined it happening so soon, so early.” We thought maybe in our eighties, but never in our early sixties. I realized that a very large fear, the fear of a disabled and dependent lifestyle, had become a reality for us. And after hearing from others who honestly shared with me, we are not alone in this fear. It has led me to realize that our greatest fear has become reality. Has the affect on our lives been drastic? Yes! But are we okay? Yes!
On the morning of my lung surgery last December, I woke with the Christmas song All is Well on my heart and in my mind. I remember wondering if I would still be singing it by the end of the day. Needless to say I was not singing at the end of the day as all was not well. Yet I can say that throughout this post surgery/post stroke journey ultimately all has been well – just as mother can tell an inconsolable child that everything is going to be ok, not knowing the future herself. I would like the message of this journey to be one of hope for all those who share this fear, even if healing this side of heaven is not complete for me or for you.
The hope I can share is because God has been present through this entire journey. If He is there and His grace and provision, as promised, are sufficient for us, they will be for you as well. We have no reason to believe otherwise. He has no favorites and yet He has provided for us as if we were.
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds you so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.
These words were written by hymn writer, William Cowper, who suffered from depression all his life. Actually, I don’t believe he could have written these words without knowing true suffering. It is not ‘all good’, as some like to say. But God brings good out of all things, for those who look to Him, and put their trust in Him again. If you, like me, find yourself disabled and dependent before your time, you will be amazed by His loving provision for you, as I have been for me. This is not to say I like being in this place of need at 63. I don’t like depending on others and having to schedule people to come and care for me each day. And yet He has made a way for me, step by painful step, and I am better for it. And while He has brought good out of it, the good does not neutralize or diminish the bad. The bad is still bad. The pain is still pain, but it’s not in vain, and I can live with that! I can declare that All Is Well, the same way that a man who lost his family to the waves of the sea on a transatlantic cruise could write these words:
Whatever my lot,
Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, with my soul.
And it is! It is well with my soul when I am in right relationship with Him. And like Job, not charging Him with wrong-doing, but recognizing His love and mercy even when I can’t feel it or understand it! I don’t need to fear because He is with me and because of that All is Well.
Journey with Katy 
Thanks again for encouraging us all with your honesty and faith. The words you quote from William Cowper are the ones my mom pointed to during the church service when I was 14 and they were going to return to Africa without me for four years the next day and I was sobbing from the thought as the church bid them farewell. And yes, in ways I could ahve never known that day, God has redeemed that loss and experience to be one of the sources of understanding to work with other globally mobile families since then. Was it hard? For sure. But he did provide so many to love and care for me as he has you..thanks for reminding us all that our circumstances alone are not where we find our “wellness”…much love to you, dear Katy and family. Ruth VR
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Ruth, it means so much to me o see your name on these comments.thank you for sharing from your ownecperiences of pain that God has used redemptively! So thankful for the choices you have made to let go of the hurt and letHim use it to comfort and heal others. Hope we will meet again this side ofHeaven!
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Katy,
Thank you for your sharing today. It really touched my heart in a very personal way. “It is well with my soul” is a phrase that I have held dear through the years in order to keep my head in heaven and not on the earth as much as I am tempted to do. No matter what goes on around me I know that God is near her than my next breath and that it is and will be well with my soul.
Robin Drago
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Thank you again for assuring all that in every situation, He is sovereign and all is well in Him.
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I often like to remind Him He is Lord over this broken body and life. And He is.
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Thank you Thank you Thank you! For reminding us . . . It’s all about perspective! Not always ours but The Lords!
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Gary and Paulette, you all are no strangers to suffering so your wordsand comments are a blessing.
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IN your devotion to Him, you lift us up with you to that perspective noted above. To all those who don’t have this perspective or have lost it, the sufferings of this life are meaningless and lack any redemptive value. BUT, God can take any brokenness and recreate one to regain that which was lost and bring new life from it and raise one to see how indeed, “It is well” and “All is well”. WE are so honored to share this journey with you Katy and clan (family). God bless you as you continue that journey till we are all made whole in Him. Praising God in the meantime that despite all, including that very real pain and hardship, you can say all is well. This is an answer to our prayers!
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Have always loved “It is Well with My Soul” Keeping you all in my prayers.
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What blessed truths shared from your hearts. Once again, your honesty is refreshing and thought provoking. “Whatever my lot”…the lot may be different for each of us; but He has designed/allowed it. And we are blessed when we allow him to teach us, and open ourselves to His wellness of our souls, something the world can never give. As Barb L said, the fact that you share this learned wisdom is an answer to prayer! Love you both.
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Katy. You have always inspired and amazed me. You still do. And I know that is God in you. Thank you for continuing reach out to share to teach and to heal.
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I love this, Katy! It rings so true!!! And it resonates with personally, too, because of all we experienced through the long valley with my father. Thank you so much for the card you and Stan sent my mother. That means tons!! We continue to pray for you all. Please accept our love and pass it on through your family!! Judi Hehir
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I do think that (almost) everyone must have those thoughts of “someday”, when one of us will need to take care of the other. Just breaking my ankle a few years ago taught be that I have a lot to learn about suffering and being a patient patient! The last High Calling, on suffering, has given me much to think about! You (both) are always in our thoughts and prayers.
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Katy dear…
God has given you such a gift to be able to communicate from your heart, the lessons you’ve learned, to the rest of us who need to hear them, not just once but over and over again. God is faithful…his mercies are new every morning. My sister and brother in law and I, were just sitting here discussing what it means to trust in the character of God. It’s easy to say I trust, but having to act on it makes it real. I’m not surprised in the least that you can truly say, It is Well With My Soul. You’ve been in the training grounds for a lot of years!!
We’ll keep on praying…and trusting.
Love to you and Stan
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Awesome testimony of faith and determination. Thanks for encouraging us to hope always in our Lord who is ever faithful to us. Blessings!
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Beautifully said, Sweet Katy!
Praying for a good day today!!
Love you!
Beth
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all I can say is – I love you Katy – thank you sister for always always pointing me and everyone you know to Jesus…there is nothing greater anyone can possibly do. You have done it through every kind of circumstance, at every turn, and even now, in the midst of suffering, in the aftermath of suffering, you point us to Jesus – our Healer, our Redeemer, our Savior, our Friend. I love you so and continue to pray for you and Stan and your beautiful family!!!
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Katy, you are so right. I often wondered when going through my health challenges how people who don’t have Jesus in their lives cope and get through it. God is enough. We continue to pray for your complete recovery. Eduardo and Yvette
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Thank you, katy, for sharing with us your pain and your faith. You are letting God use you to bless us. I continue to pray for you and Stan. I love you.
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Praise God, it is well!!!!
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Dear Katy, So wonderful to hear from you once again. I so look forward to it.Your story is for everyone no matter what age. I am in my 80,s yet I learn so much from your experience. What a gift that you can put it into words, thank you.i am at the stage in my senior years realizing I cannot do what my brain desires,yet I do not want to give in & say God cannot use me any more. So with His help find new ways. Oh Katy, I cannot write all that I want to say,I am better face to face. You are a blessing……. My very best friend in N.H. ,my former Pastors wife…..has been very sickly for many years , I would share your family updates as an encouragement to her. Last week she died, but we had many discussions re; yours words of wisdom. Praise God.❤️ Miss you & Stan very much……….my Love & prayers Pat
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Dear Kattie and Stan,
You both continue to encourage
both Brooke and myself. But, then we wouldn’t expect less. You occupy in both of our hearts a substantial portion of its unlimited space. As we move though this chapter of our Other Directed Lives, we feel very very close to both of you. Our Love always. Brooke and John
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It is Well:
There are some songs that strike a chord so deep within us, and this is one of them:
Doubters wish for reality of it,
Scoffers feel The twinge of it,
Skeptics feel the truth of it,
Seekers sense the peace of it of it
Believers have lived the heart of it. I think for me that is why this song always brings me into worship: I have been each one of them.
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Dear Katy, Everything you wrote resonated truth to me! Those were the hymn lyrics I went to bed with many nights after August 2010. That hymn and How Firm a Foundation. ‘ the soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose, I will not desert to his foes. The soul thou all hell should endeavor to shake, I’ll never, NO NEVER, no never forsake!’ May God bless the meditations of your heart as you share His great faithfulness with others! Libby
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Thank you, Katy–and Stan, too, who shares your faith in the future. Only God’s presence in your life can give you such a perspective. Thank you for sharing it. We all need such a faith for the future.
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I’m sharing this with my sister-in-law who is struggling with this very issue following a bad car accident. I know it will encourage her. We missed you at Hemlock Inn, Katy. We know you were praying for Stan because he did a really good job! Blessings.
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I am Praising GOD for your wonderful testimony that is such a great encouragement to MANY! I know you are going to find that GOD IS FAITHFUL EVERY DAY and through this very difficult time Godâs light is shining brighter and brighter through your lives. There isnât a one of us that wants to live in pain BUT the precious relationship with JESUS that is developing as we live with the pain and learn to rely more completely on JESUS far out weighs the pain we sufferâ¦at least that is my take on the pain⦠My heart really goes out to you and the drastic changes in your lives but at the same time my heart REJOICES with THANKSGIVING TO GOD to read your testimonies of GODâS WORKING in and through you all. Only GOD can do what HE has done in your lives during these dark days. You all are such a great blessing!! You continue to be in my thoughts and prayers, Mary
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Hi Stan and Katy,
Praying for you all especially with the latest news of your illness Stan. Alluding to the Job story is pretty timely as you all go through what may be the storm of your lives. Know that there are hundreds and maybe thousands praying for you both. Know that God loves you and so do thousands others. And know that He will never forsake you. Praying for His healing for you and grace that abounds with strength, hope, perseverance and a deep abiding joy and peace that can only be explained by His supernatural intervention and support.
Love,
Randy and Bernadette
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