We have a dear friend, David Altrogge, who goes to one of our related churches in Indiana, Pennsylvania. David interned for me this summer and we became really good friends. He is back at home finishing his last semester of school. Last weekend, his best friend, Ian Murphy who also goes to Lord of Life church in Indiana was in a VERY serious car accident and has been on the verge of death for the last few days. Ian also was in conversations with me to come down and intern so we got the pleasure of at least speaking a few times.
We have joined brothers and sisters literally around the globe in petitioning our Lord on Ian's behalf. Yesterday his family began funeral preparations and organ donation as the doctors pronounced imminent brain death. Today in a what can only be classified as a miracle, Ian has begun to open his eyes and respond a little. He has also moved his leg and foot.
Amazingly enough, we have another friend who has a young sister who, in the last 6 months, has found out she has a very large malignant tumor that was very aggressive. I asked her if it would be ok if Amy & I could be praying for her. Within an hour of hearing of God's work in Ian, my friend came to me today and thanked me for praying for her sister -- she had just heard that the doctors say the cancer is in remission and surgery will not be done now!
I mention both of these for two reasons:
1) To point us to the Lord and see how kind he is! God is responsive to prayer. David emailed today and quoted the following scripture:
The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (James 5:16)
Indeed we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. (2 Corinthians 1:9)
2) I would ask that you all pray for Ian, as well as David and both of their families. I would also ask that you pray for Amy and William. Please pray for these last days of Amy's pregnancy that William would continue to be healthy and come to maturity and that God would comfort Amy and protect her now through the delivery.
As I said before, God is responsive to prayer! Today has been so revealing of that!
Grateful for you. Grateful for grace.
2 comments:
Here's an update from David's father, Mark Altrogge, who is senior pastor at LOLC.
Dear brothers and sisters,
Thank you so much for praying for Ian! God is not finished yet!
When we arrived today, Steve and Mary greeted us with this news:
A man in Providence Church of Pittsburgh knows the head of the whole Neurology Department at Presbyterian Hospital (where Ian is), so he called him. Tho the doctor wasn't handling the case personally, he was aware of Ian. So he came in this morning on his own to check on Ian. He came out to talk to Steve and Mary, who knew nothing more than the status of Ian yesterday, which was that his brain was shutting down and that brain death (which is legally dead) was imminent. When he came out he told Steve and Mary it looked like Ian had "gotten over the hump" (most people who die from brain damage die within the first 48 hours and Ian was now past that) and that there were some hopeful signs. Ian had moved his hands and his foot a few times and even pulled his face away from a touch on the cheek and even moved his head when someone made a loud sound in the room. His heartbeat had slowed down, which was also a good sign. And his eyes reacted to stimulation, which they hadn't been doing (another sign that the brain is shutting down). So it appeared there was some new brain activity.
This was not "official", so we had to wait until this afternoon, when Ian's neurologist examined him. When he talked with Steve and Mary, the first thing he said was, "What's going on here?" He was really surprised at what had happened. He said that Ian had taken the first step in a positive direction. He said it could be the first step of two or a hundred, but it was a good step. Tho he said that Ian is still not out of the woods, that "brain death is no longer imminent." And that it is a definite improvement over yesterday. He said it was too early to call it a miracle but it was a step in the right direction.
Mary said that yesterday he had said to them, "I'm so sorry." Then the organ donor people had come to talk to the Murphys. Today the neurologist said, "Neurology is a humbling profession."
Steve said to the neurologist, "Yesterday we were talking about organ donation and a funeral." To which the doctor replied, "Ian has pretty much told us he's not ready for organ donation."
So let us continue to pray. Though the doctor said that Ian could still possibly die and that the signs, though good, doesn't mean we can predict anything, let us continue to ask the Lord for a full and complete healing.
But let us remember, neurology is a humbling profession and that it is God not doctors who has the final word!
Let us be encouraged - God has given us time to pray! I believe it is because he desires to heal Ian completely. And God has raised up an army of people to pray. Many Sovereign Grace churches are praying. My son David's former Care Group at Covenant Life Church prayed for Ian last night. A care group in the San Diego church is fasting and praying for Ian. Tonight at 5:00 campus groups at meeting in the Oak grove tonight to pray for Ian and the administration has asked to be kept informed on his progress. A church in Colorado called a special meeting last night to pray. Churches in Tulsa, Oklahoma and Louisiana are praying. Other churches in Indiana are praying as well.
God hears every one of these prayers. He tells us to pray because he means to answer our prayers.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! Matthew 7:7-11
"Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him OUT OF THEM ALL." Psalm 34:19
Let's ask God to increase our faith as we continue to pray for Ian, the Murphys and Larissa.
Mark
And the latest from Friday (by way of Andrew Gallo):
Today they are going to operate on Ian's right knee, instead of his spinal cord. His right knee was severely broken during the accident and the doctors believe this would speed up the healing process.
BUT, here is an amazing answer to prayer (( not that the others haven't been! )). the reason they are NOT operating on his spinal cord today is because there is still some pressure around C7 (( on his spine )), but NOT enough where the doctors think its important to operate immediately. God has begun to bring healing to that part of his spine! They have currently postponed the spinal surgery until Monday. Lord-willing, on Monday they will begin the spinal operation. Although, let's pray that they don't even have to perform the spinal surgery - and that our Loving and Gracious God would continue to bring complete healing to that part of ian's body.
The murphy family asked if we could be specifically praying for ian's uncle Dan and aunt Andrea. They have not repented of their sins and put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ - and the Murphy family asked that we would all be praying that they would come to know the great love of our saviour throughout this process. Ian's aunt and uncle are no longer at the hospital, but david said that the they live near some relatives of the Murphy's who are believers. One of those relatives began an extensive conversation that was very fruitful. So, let's pray that Dan and Andrea would continue to be willing to talk to their christian relatives ...and that through those conversations they would come to know our Great and Awesome saviour Jesus Christ! O man!!! wouldn't that be something!?
before david and i were done with our telecommunication, he was telling me how it is starting to become a temptation for them to be weary in their prayers. they are all very tired and are starting to feel the burn.
God put Psalm 6:6 on my heart and i read it to david. not only did this build up and encourage him; in severely encouraged me as i read it:
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I am weary with my moaning;
every night I flood my bed with tears;
I drench my couch with my weeping.
My eye wastes away because of grief;
it grows weak because of all my foes.
Depart from me, all you workers of evil,
for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.
The Lord has heard my plea;
the Lord accepts my prayer.
All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled;
they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment.
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Let's keep praying with faith that the LORD hears our pleas, and the LORD accepts our prayers!
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