though you slay me, yet i will praise you

Nic Ewing has been a great friend and mentor to me since the "olden days" of high school when he was my youth pastor at Rimrock Church. He and his wife Sherri have prayed for me and mentored me through high school, college, and marriage so far. What a strong, Christian couple. They are so deep in love, you'd swear they are newlyweds, and are raising 4 beautiful, wild children. 

Nic was actually the officiant of our wedding. I couldn't think of a better man to join us in union together with God. 

This summer, Nic caught a virus and had the flu for a few days. One day he woke up and his left arm wasn't working as it should, so he saw a doctor and had some tests and was admitted into the hospital.  His labs were not normal, so he was flown to Mayo. Four days later he couldn't walk. 

His body went into overdrive while fighting off the virus, that it started attacking itself. A scan of his spine showed inflection/inflammation. His anterior horn cells were damaged. "When the anterior horn is damaged, the brain’s planned movement cannot be carried out by the muscles. Basically, the message 'to move' never leaves my spinal chord." (Taken from his Caring Bridge site).

He spent a few weeks at Mayo participating in treatment and rehab. And when he was medically stable, he went back home to be with his wife and kids. He's participating in physical therapies at home and is showing some improvements, but is still wheelchair bound, and only has control over his right arm. 

How do you think that Nic & Sherri are reacting to this time of trial? Have they recanted their faith in God? Have they turned fro Jesus? Have they gotten lost in their sorrow and have no more hope?

Yeah right!

Their faith story is a incredible one. They have been able to grasp onto the notion that "though I am weak, He is strong!."

2 Corinthians 12:9&10:

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions,in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

The weekend Kam & I were speaking at churches near Kadoka, Nic was telling his story and proclaiming the greatness of God at Rimrock Church & the Exchange downtown Rapid City. I was sad to miss it, but luckily the church recorded them, and I was able to listen online.

Listen to Nic Speak at the Exchange.
Listen to Nic, Sherri, & his dad speak Rimrock Church.

Visit their Caring Bridge blog to read their whole story and to leave comments of encouragement and prayers.

More than prayers of physical healing, Nic & Sherri are also requesting prayers of spiritual strength to keep their faith strong in the Lord and to accept that God is good, and He has a greater plan for Nic in a wheelchair, than his plan for Nic as he used to be.  Please join them in this prayer.

This song is one they have clung to from the beginning of this trial. It's been running though my head all month.