This holiday season has been exceptionally hard. The normal stress that is induced by trying to purchase perfect gifts for practically every person you know, chasing down local Santas for one quick picture, and decorating the house just enough to foster a âmagical environmentâ for your child was exponentially multiplied by more serious factors that paid no attention to the short timeline of âChristmasâ.  Theodoreâs medication changes to counteract newfound delirium, the threat of re-intubation for a few days, and a surprise visit to the operating room are just some of the items that immediately jumped to the top of my âholiday to-do listâ; items that took immediate precedence and easily put a damper on any lingering âholiday cheerâ… Â
BUT throughout these past couple weeks of December, I randomly kept coming back to the classic Christmas tune:
“AWAY IN A MANGER, NO CRIB FOR A BED…”
If you stop to think, youâll realize that the underlying cause to the majority of our stress comes from wanting to GIVE the very best to the people you love most; and in my case, that is MacKenna and Theodore. But what happens when youâre unable to GIVE your loved ones what you want ? I canât help but think that Mary, as a new mother, wanted to give much better to her newborn son, Jesus.  Mary was forced to lay Him in a smelly dirty feeding trough; she was unable to give her baby what she wanted because âthere was no place for them in the innâ (Luke 2:7).  She didnât have a choice. She did her best.  She simply loved Him.Â
Just as there is no way to glamorize the first bed for the Son of God into anything other than a feeding trough that held scraps for slobbering animals, Theodoreâs ânurseryâ for the past four months has been less than ideal according to the standard of motherhood nowadays.  Iâve done my best with the circumstances at hand by trading hospital blankets for jersey knit swaddle sets and bringing touches of home to decorate the plain white sterile ICU room, but my motherâs heart still wants to give him more; give him better.  Itâs intertwined within a motherâs DNA to constantly want to give the best to her children; to sometimes want to give what is not even possible. I can just picture Mary placing her pregnant swollen hand on the inside of her garment and using it as a rag to clean all visible leftover debris out of the manger; without a doubt I can see Mary trembling from exhaustion on her hands and knees, searching for the most premium lumps of âhayâ that had not already been soiled or half-chewed in order to provide a “bed” with as much “padding” as possible.  I think about how much her motherâs heart must have ached wanting to do ‘betterâ for her son …she could not even give Jesus the most basic essential: …âno crib for a bedâ.  Yet Theodore, even though I yearn for him to have so much better right now, has a crib for a bed… Teddy was still laid in a crib, far more superior to what his Savior, Jesus Christ, ever received as a newborn; not because my son deserved it but because Godâs Grace abounds (2 Corinthians 9:8).Â
So, what happens when youâre unable to GIVE your loved ones what you want ? You donât. Itâs not about YOU and what YOU want to give, itâs about them and what they NEED to receive; and the greatest need is always âloveâ. Iâm no âMary, Mother of Jesusâ, but I am learning that when the circumstances are out of my hands and the luxury of âchoiceâ is gone, I will simply do my best and give my love.
-ď¸ Momma Bear, Praying Isaiah 53:5
#FallingRightSideUp
~ TEDDY BEAR PRAYER ~Â
Dear God –
We praise You; we praise You God that even through it all, Theodore has âa crib for a bedâ! Although I want to give Theodore so much more at this point in time, please continue to give me the patience and perspective I need in order to see that there is much more to this hard journey than my natural eyes can see right now.  Please comfort my motherâs heart to know that âmy bestâ is good enough.Â
Thank you, God. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for ALL of the people in our lives who have adopted a âmotherâs heartâ for our baby Theodore and our entire family! You have angels on this earth who have taken some of the burden from us, and we are eternally grateful for them! Thank you for every last person who has given donations towards the #TeamTeddy830 project that was initiated by two of the busiest and most selfless mothers I know. I pray that not only Danielle & Bethany be richly blessed for their generous hearts, but that every last person who has supported this project sees an increase in their own lives! Thank you God for your overwhelming love that has been shown through every single person who cooks us meals, helps watch MacKenna, (anonymously) blesses us with donations, and surprises us with care packages that support us on this journey.  I especially thank you God for every last person who agrees with me in prayer; for those that pray on my behalf when I no longer can find the words to pray myself; for those who spend hours interceding for the finite daily details that lead to Theodoreâs overall success! Thank you for allowing the perfect people to cross my path before and during this process; You know God, that every person who has taken the time to give me a kind word of encouragement has helped bring me through one more hard day at a time… Thank you that my 4-year old is such a good sport, so healthy, and so compassionate towards her baby brother. Iâm eternally grateful for the family and husband you have given me; they are my stronghold that I love dearly.Â
Lord, I pray that Theodore continues to make his âslow and steady progressâ. I pray that he continues to shock all the doctors by overcoming these next hurdles in his path:
- In Jesus Name Theodore will begin to use his pacifier properly. He will activate and develop every muscle in his mouth in preparation for bottle feeding one day! Nothing will stand in his way because Your will is to see him eat by mouth. We pray against the need for a G-tube and believe that all of Theodoreâs nutrients will be properly absorbed within his digestive track. When the hospital begins his breastmilk drip feed on January 1st, Theodore will only thrive and chylothorax will continue to be nonexistent!  Theodore will not have any aversions to my milk, and sooner than later my milk will be enjoyed in his stomach, and not only his intestines. Thank you that Teddy will advance to âfull feedsâ much sooner than we think!Â
- In Jesus Name Theodoreâs MRI scheduled for this Tuesday will show no signs of new strokes. I pray that his brain is functioning as it should and specifically that the occipital lobe is in perfect condition and that Teddy will enjoy 20/20 vision in his future. Nothing is impossible for you, God! The nystagmus that Theodore currently endures will be GONE in Jesus Name; your timing is perfect and we trust YOU.  I declare that all the muscles around Theodoreâs eyes will become stronger, and pray that any past neurological problem that may have caused the nystagmus in the first place will be 100% healed!
- In Jesus Name Theodoreâs right ventricle pressures will drastically improve. Next time they are checked, the Doctors will find the pressure to be under 10 mmHg. His right ventricle is NOT getting tired and only getting stronger every single day. The heart transplant team will not even have to evaluate Teddy because his heart is being made new with every beat.Â
I will forever proclaim that it is already finished; God, You will restore Theodoreâs health and heal Theodoreâs wounds (Jeremiah 30:17). My son will be coming home with his own whole heart in Jesus Name ď¸
… AMEN & AMEN !Â
Hi Alex I just finished reading your new post I donât even have the words to express what I felt when I read that.. I can only say God has truly gifted you to open peoples hearts as they read your words!! The depth of your understanding is truly incredible!! I am so extremely proud of you!! I and many others continually stand with you in prayer and we are trusting God that this coming year will be a year of miraculous intervention from the God that we serve!! We will have many serendipity moments!! (Development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way)May God richly bless you,Mike.MacKenna,and Theodore in this coming year!! love you always!! ~Nana Sent from my iPhone
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Praying Always!
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I continue to pray with you, where do I find information about the Team Teddy Project? I also live in Buffalo and my daughter received 2 heart transplants in Pittsburgh, youâre in such caring and skilled hands there đđźâ¤ď¸ Blessings, Lori Lozano
On Sun, Dec 29, 2019 at 10:26 PM FALLING RIGHT SIDE UP wrote:
> Falling Right Side Up posted: ” This holiday season has been exceptionally > hard. The normal stress that is induced by trying to purchase perfect gifts > for practically every person you know, chasing down local Santas for one > quick picture, and decorating the house just enough to” >
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Oh my goodness ! Itâs so good to meet you! … itâs amazing how many people Iâve met from Buffalo while in Pittsburgh! You can find the #TeamTeddy830 cookies and ornaments under that hashtag on Instagram! I would love to connect with you more about your journey! â¤ď¸
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Hi Lori! If still interested, Iâm on of the creators of TeamTeddy830. You can email me at cab2008@msn.com for details. â¤ď¸
Bethany
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Alex–so HUGELY proud of your ability to share your heart & better yet–your mature level of Christ-centered living. Specifically your Faith & Trust in Christ !!! Its easy for us to read & recommend such topics but you are LIVING this faith. Sure standing right there with you on all prayer requests. You are an amazing young lady !!
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