As you know, Tony works for me--and I adore his two twin boys.  The boys just turned thirteen.  The two boys finished painting my guest room a couple of weeks ago, and did a professional job.  I love them all.  They have become a part of my life.

This holiday weekend, they went camping with their dad and grandfather in the mountains out west, taking two cars in a convoy with all their gear.  Austyn was in the car with his grandfather, and Tyler was with Tony.  They were driving at the top of a high crag when the grandfather had a heart attack and he and Austin went over the cliff, down 150 feet.  Austyn was ejected, and his grandfather died.

Tony rigged winches and chains and frantically rappelled down the cliff to get to Austyn, who was in horrible shape, bleeding internally with gashes on his head and a number of broken ribs.  When they got him to the hospital, doctors removed his spleen, braced his neck and back and started draining blood and fluid from his lungs.  To say the least, everyone who knows the family were praying for God to intervene and help him.  And prayed that there was no brain damage.  Everyone was very frightened for Austyn, and the last three days have been emotionally draining for all of us who loved him.  Such a bright, lively, sweet boy.  The thought of losing him was horrible.

Today the news is better than good, it is miraculous.  They removed the tubes, and tomorrow, they are doing a MRI to check his neck and back, and a MRA to check for internal bleeding.  They plan on standing him up.  Austyn is alert, awake and remembers everything that happened, including going over the cliff.

God is good.  Sometimes we despair, fall into fear, and need His love to be visible.  This has been one of those times.  Austyn will have physical scars, but he has his life.  And I for one am thankful beyond belief.  I can hardly wait to hear the outcome of his tests tomorrow--I expect them to be excellent.

I expect to put both him and his brother to work painting my other bedroom over fall break--that's how optimistic I am.  Loving someone can cause you pain from time to time.  But love is what life is all about.  Loving others.