An Unexpected Surprise; Ahmed Discharged

Ahmed and his mother piled into the van this morning for yet another echo. The aim of today's appointment was to check on the status of the fluid surrounding his heart, which was found at his latest doctors visit this past Monday. And from the packed snacks and toys, to the gentle way she cradled his hand, this mother made it obvious to all in the vehicle that Ahmed was her delight. Sitting next to such a touching display of parental affection had me thinking about how much more Ahmed’s heavenly Father loves him and desires to give him good things. Matthew 7:11 says, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!” My prayer for Ahmed then became that his heavenly Father would shower him with blessings today. 

We arrived at the hospital in good spirits and Ahmed soon went in for his appointment. However, his happy mood did not last long and his screams of resistance could be heard from the waiting area. But the nurses, accustomed with this kind of behavior, played a cartoon to keep him distracted. This cartoon worked it's magic, and Ahmed peacefully cooperated for the remainder of the procedure. 

The results of his echo were absolutely exceptional. It seems that there is no longer any fluid surrounding Ahmed's heart. And although this was wonderful news, it was not the "exceptional" part of his results. The extrordinary news is as follows: Ahmed has progressed so much in the two weeks following his surgery that his doctor’s have given him the clearance to return home to Iraq! This is especially notable given that heart patients are not usually cleared to go home until at least three weeks after their surgery. This surprising news thrilled Ahmed as well as his mother. While we waited for the discharge report, his mother watched her son play and smiled down on him with delight. As I happily watched this scene transpire, I knew this day and his early release were gifts straight from the hand of his loving Father. 

The caveat to this wonderful news is that their traveling visas are not yet ready as his release was much earlier than expected. So for this upcoming week, please pray for their visas to come swiftly, along with patience for this family as they wait a few more days in Jerusalem.