Dear Friends and Family, July 16, 2011
Thank you so much for your faithful prayers. The last week has been filled with even more opportunities for us to trust the Lord. As we reflect back onto this week, we can say with certainty that there is never a dull moment when we are leaning on God to be bigger than we have ever experienced Him to be in the past. Our only regret is that we haven’t demanded to know God this intimately before. It is an amazing gift to have our eyes opened more and more every day to His extraordinary grace and love.
The latest McLaurin adventures this past week included losing air conditioning twice with temperatures over 100 along with having Colby’s insurance approval for surgery granted and then denied…and now partially granted. His initial consultation to the neurosurgeon has been approved but coverage for surgery has not yet been granted. Jireh also picked up a little GI bug, which has made for a few restless nights.
Having a sauna for a home is not pleasant when it is over a hundred degrees outside. Being told medical care will be provided and then having it denied is not pleasant. Yet, having air conditioning restored within twelve hours of breaking twice in a week is a blessing. Having Colby’s insurance re-evaluate his case and give approval within 24 hours is a blessing. Thank you for your prayers. We are reminded of Matt 7:11—“ If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”
Many people have remarked that it will be good for our lives to get back to “normal.” Though the words are spoken out of kindness, we are not so sure “getting back to normal” would be a good thing. Really, how could our lives ever be the same again? Why would we want that? We don’t mean what we were doing before was necessarily bad or a waste of time. However, the Lord has given us a rare gift – a refreshing perspective on how brief this life is and how important it is to live every moment with purpose! “Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes” (James 4:14). It is amazing how many of the things we prioritized in the past seem so trivial now! God is giving us bigger dreams and we hope to be used by Him in mightier ways every day.
Prayer Requests:
1. Insurance dealings – Surgery billing codes are being submitted by the surgeon’s office in San Francisco to Colby’s insurance for approval. Please pray for speedy approval. Our families have already purchased airfare and rented an apartment in San Francisco based on the proposed surgery date (Aug 16th), and we stand to lose a lot of money (and sleep) if insurance problems delay surgery!
2. Healing – We continue to believe God can heal Colby, whether through physicians or in His own ways. We ask you to pray for that as well. However, we are trusting the Lord’s perfect will and asking him first to bring himself the most glory through this trial.
3. Wisdom with home repairs – There are a number of things we would like to do to our house to make it more livable for the long-term, including updating the A/C unit so it doesn’t continue to break on a weekly basis. Colby feels some pressure to get these plans rolling before we leave for CA so Emily doesn’t have to deal with them (potentially by herself) when we get back. Pray for favor in the eyes of contractors and the historic preservation board, and for wisdom about what projects to start and what to wait on.
4. Multiplication of time to read, study scripture, and write for both Emily and Colby. The lessons we are learning in these days are priceless and we want to meditate on them and record them so we may look back on them someday and give God the praise He deserves.
5. We are still looking for ways that Colby may be faithful to this calling and not waste his tumor. He is open to sharing his testimony and the gospel at any event or in any format. We are thankful for those who are working alongside us in this. We want to be faithful and useful to the Lord TODAY, for “you do not know what tomorrow will bring…” (James 4:14).
Thankful for each one of you,
Colby, Emily, and Jireh
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