Home At Last

The Murillos made it home!  I cannot express enough how amazing it feels to say that.  We are in awe of God's merciful hand on our family.  I hope that we can always remember to be grateful for the fact that Celia has been given to us as a miracle to glorify God.  Julya and Alex have been entrusted with a wonderful testimony of His love and power.  

In the beginning, we were told she would not make it.  We then thought that perhaps she'd need to be transferred to a larger hospital, like Omaha's, that could offer her an intestinal transplant.  Next, we were told it was going to be a very long stay at her current hospital.  But God, in His providence, has healed our Celia and given her doctors and nurses who did a wonderful job guarding her from secondary complications and infections that would have increased the length of her stay.  She is full of life.  She is not in Omaha.  She is home.     

(Just to put Celia's stature in perspective, take a look at this PEANUT in her crib!)  

Please keep Julya and Alex in your prayers during this time.  It has been a busy day for them trying to get settled in.  There is a lot of unpacking, organizing, shopping, and laundry to do before they can finally relax and enjoy some down time.  It hasn't been as easy to get everything done, as Celia has quite the metabolism!  She is a VERY hungry girl and definitely lets her needs be known.  Once full, though, she is SUCH a cuddly baby.  There is nothing better than watching her sleep and be at peace.   

While writing this evening, a few things have been brought to the forefront of my mind.  

• I am reminded that our loving, perfect Savior himself had no place to call home.  We have longed for this day for Celia - may we not take the concept of being home for granted!

"Jesus replied: 'Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to rest his head.'" - Luke 9:58 

• The wait to go home actually isn't over...Scripture says that while on this earth, Christians are not home.  We were made to live out eternity with God!  For now, we can experience only a mere shadow of what it means to be "home".  We are not there yet.  And we can only get there through Jesus Christ.

"But our citizenship is in heaven.  And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." - Philippians 3:20-21 

• Our home is going to be AWESOME!

"Then I saw 'a new heaven and a new earth,' for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.  I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Look!  God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them.  They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of thigns has passed away.'" - Revelation 21:1-4 

"Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city.  On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month.  And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.  No longer will there be any curse.  The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.  They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.  There will be no more night.  They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun for the Lord God will give them light.  And they will reign for ever and ever." - Revelation 22:1-5