My Brother Erik

ANDREW WRITES:

5:30 AM

Tonight I couldn't sleep much just thinking and praying for Erik Greene and his family. I received news at 8:30 PM last night that he had gone to the hospital with unexpected heart problems. His health quickly started to deteriorate. He is currently sedated and in critical care while the doctors are running tests on him. They said that the prognosis is very grim. For those who don't know him, he is a bright young guy, father of 4 kids (3 adopted), and he loves the Lord.

Erik changed my life these past couple weeks.

Erik and his wife, Roxanne, have sat at my Sunday school table for the past 8 months or so. When he first found out about my cancer diagnosis he came over to me and told me that he knows exactly what I'm going through, and that he would be praying for me. Erik had leukemia when he was a child and had radiation treatment on the upper half of his body. He told me to just hang in there. So I did.

This past Saturday Erik emailed me to encourage me again, and tell me that Roxanne and him would be praying for me. He said in his email, "Hey, if you want to grab a cup of coffee lets do it. If you need to talk about this we can do so. Do not give up hope, brother, because God is in control. His sovereignty is complete and peace is found in him!"

On Sunday I was struggling with pain in my mouth and ear, and I was a little discouraged. After evening service Erik came over and grabbed my hand and held it firmly and said, "Can I pray for you?". So Erik put his arm around me and prayed for my surgery and healing as we stood at the front of the church. When I left the church building that night I thought to myself, "I want to be like Erik. I want to be able to give people hope in their trials."

We haven't known each other for that long, nor have we spent much time together, but Erik changed my life. He's more than a friend, he's a brother.

Lord, we praise you that you are the great physician. You know each hair on our head, and each molecule in our body. I pray that you would please heal Erik and give the doctors wisdom to treat him. I pray that he would be able to live a long healthy life with Roxanne and the kids. Please take care of them.

10:10 AM
I just received a call from Julie Ratzlaff and she told me that Erik made it through the night. He's still sedated in critical care.

I was told that Erik said on his way to the hospital yesterday that he didn't want to get sick now because he wanted to be there for me before I go into surgery. He wanted to have breakfast with me this week. Erik truly is a fighter. Lord, please heal Erik. Please bring him safely through this sickness so that we can have him on this earth for longer. Please give the doctors, the hospital staff and Roxanne wisdom to diagnose and treat him.

Bless the Lord oh my soul and all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the Lord oh my soul and forget none of His benefits;
Who pardons all your iniquities;
Who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit;
Who crowns you with loving kindness and compassion;
Who satisfies you your years with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle.Ps. 103:1-5

11:36PM
Erik is still sedated in critical care and his body is still fighting off a major blood infection. We feel so burdened for him and his family, and we wish we could do something to heal Him. Pray that his condition will stabilize and that he will be able to get over this infection.