It has been 5 weeks and 3 days now since the accident. 
 

Today when we(Mark and I) arrived at the hospital Chris was already up in the ‘sit-up chair’.  He said, “I have been here for over half an hour. They put me in it then everybody just left me, I have been here all alone.” He was looking so good. We talked for quite a long while. 
 

He said his arm was hurting in the elbow a bit.  Mark told him.. it was getting better. Two weeks ago when they did the surgery one that arm, It had in big letters… DO NOT BEND!  written on it.  Now look Chris… they had the great huge bandaged on and your arm in slightly bended and it is wrapped in a tensor bandage.  The Doctors also told Aunty Sherry that they think you may get even greater range and mobility on that arm than they were expecting. Praise the Lord… That is what God told us! He gave us the Thumb’s Up. 
 

He asked for the book to write in…. He is still croaking like the little ewok and writing. He told us the therapist had plugged the hole in his trach to see how he was doing breathing on his own. He wrote his butt was a sleep. This chair is not the most comfortable especially for a guy who has been laying around for 5 weeks and this new bed he got a while ago is so comfortable it is made with soft air pockets and has been such a wonderful gift for our special miracle.  (Yesterday he saw the letters on the nurses uniform that SCU and when they told him it stood for Special Care Unit He told them it was because he was special. AND HE IS!)  He was able to stay up in the chair for almost 3 hours. 
 

He asked how long he had been there, in the hospital. We told him 5 weeks.  He said it was so long, and things seemed to take so long. Mark told him just last week he could not even sit up or bend his left arm.  Today he was sitting up and they left arm was bent slightly. We told him 3 weeks ago he could not breathe on his own, the machine was doing that . Now He is breathing on his own. Last week he was all wired up and monitored and today while we were talking, he was not hooked up to any machines that were monitoring him. (They did while he was in the chair  but just then in the bed… no machines.)
 

Four weeks ago we were thrilled he could lift his eye lids for a second.. and look.  Today he was looking all around. Four weeks ago the Doctor was talking about removing his arm….to day the talk is about how much more movement he will have than expected. Three weeks ago he could barely squeeze our hands to acknowledge we were there and today he has a wonderful hard grip. Three weeks ago he had pneumonia really bad… now in Jesus name the last of the fluid that is in his lungs is white and clearing. A week ago his mind was a jumble today he was talking clearly.. with only a few things that didn’t really fit the conversation.  Last week he had no movement in his left leg and now he was really moving it. 
 

He was trying to move his right leg, and Dad could feel when he tensed the muscle but it would not move.  While we talked he kept trying…before we left he was getting it to move, at first only a slight movement but before we left he was really working on it and had it moving very definite movements.
 

He was talking about re-conditioning.  He is so determined; as he is able to take up more and more of the initiative to re-condition, he will progress much quicker. He is getting quite humorous.  It is lovely to see.  When he wanted back into bed from the chair, he told us he would like to just jump there himself.  We told him that time would come. However, right now it would cause damage and delay his progress.
 

We talked to him about his friends and family and all the people around the world who are praying for him.  His eyes filled with tears at all the love and prayers from people. He told us ‘I pray every night.”
We talked about how good God is and what He has promised for Chris’s life. We talked about how his life has influenced so many others…He said “It is not hard… You just have to be what God made you to be, to be who you really are … it just happens!”    He was for the most part so clear headed and thankful to God for all that He has done.
He was talking about when he gets home and if we thought he would need a handicap home…We told him No Chris you will do just fine.  If you and Nina want to get a different home… that is something you two can talk about later but it will be only if you want to change.. not because you have to.
What hope, What peace, What confidence in Our Lord.  What Joy in believing! 
He was very thoughtful about us as well yesterday.  He wanted to know about my surgery. I am wearing a great big bandage on my finger. He was concerned about us as well. I told him Nina was at a wedding… he said he remembered, she had told him, yesterday  He even mentioned who he thought it was .When we left he told us to get a good sleep tonight. 
Yes today was a wonderful day we have so much to be thankful to our God for.  To the Doctors and nurses and to all our wonderful family and friends who are standing with us through this. As Chris continues to heal and as he has the rest of the  miracles and operations he will be needing we will continue to thank God everyday for His goodness and His mercy and His wonderful works to us.  Today is a day to rejoice.