Strength for Today & Hope for Tomorrow

Isabel's West Nile Survivor friends have a common inspirational motto that has sustained them during these last four years:

"Strength for today and hope for tomorrow".

Today, "four years of Sundays" after the last time Isabel went to Knox United Church in Abernethy, she was delighted to find herself back in the sanctuary amid the beautiful stained glass and familiar faces once again.

Much to the surprise of Isabel and her driver, we discovered that the first hymn, Great is Thy Faithfulness, contains the words "Strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow" which told us the origin of the familiar West Nile Survivors' motto.

Isabel sat in her portable wheelchair. "Your comfortable pew!" quipped an old friend mimicking a book about church-goers written decades ago.

Isabel responded: "It's great to be here. I never imagined I would be here again except in a 6 foot box!!!"

Gratitude again.

Great is thy faithfulness, God our Creator,

There is no shadow of turning with Thee;

Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not,

as thou hast been thou forever wilt be.

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, ever to me.

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.

Pardon for sin and and a peace that endureth

Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow

Wondrous the portion thy blessings provide.

- T Chisholm (lyrics) and W Runyan (music) in Voices United #288

Four Years Later

August 7, 2007 (Four years ago)

The entry in Isabel's diary tells of her waking with an upset stomach and not feeling "quite right". She and her friend, Clayton, rehung the door on Foster School following an act of vandalism.

That was Isabel's last entry. Each day thereafter she became increasingly ill until five days later entered the Intensive Care Unit of the Regina General Hospital.

Four years! Where have they gone? Months and months of dogged determination to fight back to health; weeks then months of being unable to move any part of her body on her own other than her eyes; months and years of letters, phone calls and visits from friends; training well over 100 nurses how to care for her daily needs; gratitude to family and friends and therapists and other medical staff who never gave up.

And now back on "my own home territory" (Isabel's words) to enjoy a summer on the prairie....wild flowers and garden bouquets in her room....walks outside with a nurse before 8 AM each day......drives in the country.....pop-in visits from family and friends.

Deep gratitude, again and again.