When birthdays roll around at our house (as they often do, with the number in our family), we sing two birthday songs. First, the traditional “Happy Birthday to You,” followed by a short chorus:

“May the Blessing of the Lord be upon you!
We bless you in the Name of the Lord!
May the Blessing of the Lord be upon you!
We bless you in the Name of the Lord!”

Which I just sang to Randy… as… today, we celebrate his FIFTH “birthday”! Five years ago today, since his bone marrow transplant! Of course, our journey at Mayo Clinic began several months prior to that life-saving procedure, and our required stay in Rochester was extended four months beyond his transplant, with many trips back and forth since then.

Randy’s doctors do continue to monitor his progress carefully. Currently, he is expected to have lab work done once a month, with those results being sent to Mayo, where his transplant doctor reviews them. We thank God that, most often, his results are stable. Randy is still on a host of medications. Because his skin is among the areas that they watch carefully for graft vs. host problems after bone marrow transplants, he has frequent visits with a dermatologist.

Although Randy had a short bout of pneumonia at the end of May (and was then given the choice as to be admitted to our local hospital or not), he recuperated well at home, and has had no hospitalizations since the end of July last year. Virtual visits with Mayo, right from home, have been an ongoing blessing; we haven’t actually been to Mayo for about nine months. He is, however, scheduled for a number of in-person appointments at Mayo at the end of this month, including ones with graft-vs-host eye specialists and a skin specialist, in addition to his regular checkups. Just to be sure all is well.

Once again, I am reminded of the “random” guy in an elevator at Mayo “way back when” (before Randy’s transplant), who- after we had just received discouraging news that Randy’s numbers had gone the wrong way again after his first chemo treatments, suddenly said in a strong voice:
“All is well in Jesus’ Name!” (After which we accidentally got off the elevator on the wrong floor and never saw him again )

Not surprisingly, but oh-so thankfully… if you were to ask Randy (as I did), for an assessment of his condition, it would be short and sweet:

In Randy’s words: “I thank God for how well I’ve been doing. I’m doing great!”

Happy birthday to you, Randy! How thankful we are for the past five years, and each of your days!

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“This is a holy moment.”

The words that the pastor spoke that day, as my sister went from this life to the next, ring just as clearly in my mind now as they did in that breathless moment, now over twenty-one years ago. As Judy took her last breath, each of those by her side likely had to catch their own; I still do, as I reflect on that moment.

“This is a holy moment now.”   -So also go the words of a Matt Redman song.
Followed by:
“Something of Heaven touches Earth.
Voices of angels all resound-
we join their song!”

Something of Heaven touching Earth.
Indeed something… (or Someone!) touched the earth then; yes, even the earth that once housed Judy, as God took her spirit to be with Him in Heaven!

Five years ago today, as Randy lay on a bed at Mayo Clinic, Heaven also touched Earth. And somehow this, too, was a “holy moment.” Not that Randy went from death to life in the literal sense. Yet, through the bone marrow transplant that Randy received that day, God brought final death to a disease and graciously extended his life.

Though Randy’s brother was his willing stem cell donor, and though the hands of the doctors and nurses carried out the amazing procedure, God’s loving hand provided, moving through and guiding it all. He is the God who heals!

In the words of what was once one of my dad’s favorite hymns (And I imagine he may be singing yet before Jesus Himself now!) ...

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
all I have needed Thy hand hath provided:
great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Not all has been smooth sailing since Randy’s transplant. There have been a number of trials and what sometimes seemed like setbacks along the way, that doctors have chalked up as graft vs. host disease. Yet, without hesitation, we can truly testify, that in each and every season…

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest;
sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
join with all nature in manifold witness
to Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

For God has given to each of us:

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear Presence to cheer and to guide;
strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow:
blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!