“I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you. “You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, who has dealt wondrously with you.” Joel 2:25-27

Israel’s sin had set them at odds with God. They had rejected God for idols. In return, God allowed them to be under the affliction of the idolatrous Babylonians. The Babylonians were a ruthless army that devoured Israel like a swarm of locusts devouring a grain field.

Yet God loved Israel and did not desire her to be ravished by her enemies. This is why He promised that He would mercifully care for her by rescuing her and restoring to her all that sin had stolen away. The Lord declared through the prophet Joel, “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locusts has eaten.” God assured Israel that what was stolen would be restored in ways only God bring about.

As I look back on my own life, I can see how God has graciously restored years that sin stole from me. He has dealt with abundant kindness toward me, and I will worship Him forever for it. We can see how God is doing something similar for Eden. Eden’s affliction was not due to her own personal sin, but it was an effect of the curse of sin on our world. Her sickness stole nearly three months of her life, but God has begun to restore them in ways that are beyond what we could ask for or imagine (Eph. 3:20).

Yesterday marked two weeks since Eden came home from her 51-day stint in the hospital. In many ways, it feels like just yesterday, and in others, it feels like an eternity ago. By God’s grace, Eden’s recovery has continued without any real issues. She sleeps in her own bed, and we sleep in ours. Life isn’t normal, but God’s grace has abounded to us in remarkable ways. Here are seven updates tied to seven prayer requests.

1. Eden’s physical healing.

From being in a coma to where Eden is today is nothing short of a miracle. Watching her walk up and down the stairs, doing workouts, and just about every normal activity we could hope for is beyond what we imagined. We praise God for the therapists who helped her and are so proud of the hard work she’s invested in getting back to doing many of the things she loves.

Pray that Eden will be able to run again soon. She has been advised not to do this yet, but it feels like she’s getting close. She’s also eager to get back to doing CrossFit with her buddies, but she needs more time to ensure that she doesn’t reinjure herself.

2. Eden’s brain is healing.

Fifty-seven days ago, Eden had no brain activity. Today she’s reading, playing games, and having normal conversations. Her humor and wittiness seem unfazed and aside from being a little slower to speak, her struggles are unnoticeable to people who wouldn’t know her very well.

Pray that Eden’s memory would return in full. She remembers most things, but conversations often reveal ways that her memory has yet to be restored. Her ability to recall words is growing but there are certainly limitations. She also shows some emotional instability that can lead her to cry more easily, feel guilty for things she shouldn’t, and be more anxious or fearful than seems appropriate. Pray that all this would regulate quickly.

3. Eden and the family.

It has been a joy to welcome Eden back home. Her absence was felt on every level. Having her at the dinner table, in family devotions, and part of our everyday lives has been a source of great joy. Her relationship with her siblings seems to be going well and they are all adjusting to some of the ways Eden needs us to be quieter and have less drama. This has been a blessing for our family as it seems to have introduced more peace than we had before.

Eden has also been able to spend time with my parents, who moved here last weekend. I shared in other posts that my mother has been diagnosed with stage-4 pancreatic cancer, and my father is struggling with dementia. We have rented a house for them across the street and are getting all their doctor appointments, chemo treatments, and everything else settled. Eden and the other kids are thankful to have their grandparents so close, even if their quality of life is less than what we’d all hoped for right now.

Pray that our family will continue to grow in gentleness, patience, and a willingness to put others' interests before our own. We have always struggled with this but we see God using Eden’s return to force us to be more careful with how we engage with one another. Pray also for my mother’s pain to be minimal and for us to find a home health helper who can help us with all the daily logistics that feel more than overwhelming right now.

4. Eden and friends.

Eden has slowly begun hanging out with friends again. She is a social butterfly and thrives when she’s laughing and spending time with her friends. The trick is that she has been learning how to limit what she loves. Eden’s cognitive fatigue can come upon her pretty quickly, and that’s frustrating for her. Overall, she’s very thankful to be back among some of her closest friends and hopes to be able to do all the more as spring is fast approaching.

Pray that Eden would be a good friend and also know how to pace herself with her current limitations.

5. Eden and church.

Eden has returned to worshipping with our church the past two Sundays and was able to go to youth group on Sunday. Eden’s spiritual sensitivity has grown more mature through this whole process, and I trust we’ll allow her to share some of that in the days ahead.

Pray for Eden to deepen in her love for God and love for others. Pray that her love for the Word will continue to increase and that she will have wisdom about pursuing baptism and church membership (which is something she’s interested in).

6. Eden and school.

On Friday, Eden returned to school for chapel (that Garrett spoke at) and one class. The school has been very supportive of Eden and our family through all this, so it was a joy to see them witness Eden’s presence, which they saw as a direct answer to prayer.

Pray we will have wisdom about how to pace Eden’s return to school. We think she’s ready in many ways, and we want to push her—yet be patient. It’s a tricky balance.  

7. Eden and the future.

As we look to the days ahead, we have much hope. God has answered many prayers and we trust He will continue to do so. Eden has two follow-up appointments with doctors in March, which will allow us to gauge her healing process as well as guide her steps for the long term.

Pray for us to have wisdom with her medicines. Pray that she’ll never have a seizure again. Pray that God will continue to make all the seeds we sowed during the hospital stay to grow during this season. Pray for God to help us (Garrett and Carrie) as we try to handle numerous pressures that often feel exhausting.