Dottie and I are doing our best to navigate this thing they call self-isolation. These pictures represent the view from my Rapunzel tower above the garage and still supporting businesses by getting our curbside lunch from our friends at Chick-fil-a
We remain Thankful in All Things but most especially our great God who knows all and each one of you are following our journey through yet another season of adversity. “Take courage all you people of the land, says the Lord; work, for I am with you, says the Lord of hosts, according to the promise that I made you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit abides among you; fear not.” Haggai: 2:4a – 5.
These last few days have been troubling for me. I have been on edge but found it hard to figure out why. Certainly the Coronavirus all over the news doesn’t help especially with me being considered “immune system compromised” I have been dealing with emotions that I haven’t been able to understand. I continue to feel better but being put in a “cautious” category by my health care folks, physical therapist and most importantly my wife, has left me in a very strange place. I find myself wanting to live trusting the wisdom of those who care for me while not wanting to live by fear. The answer is found in Isaiah 43. O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. “
Dottie reminded me this morning that not walking in fear does not mean not being wise in my actions. I think I finally heard her and it made me realize why I have felt such angst over the last few days. As much as I want to declare myself better I am not fully recovered. Even though people see me and say I look great, the reality is my recovery can take 6 months to 2 years and there is a very good chance my immune system, which caused Guillain Barre syndrome to occur, very well may still be compromised. Therefore, I need to seek wisdom from those who know much more than me. Please Lord make me “A wise man who will hear and increase in learning, and a man of understanding who will acquire and trust wise counsel. (Proverbs 1:5)”. Larry Burkett writes, “Acquiring wisdom and knowledge can’t be underestimated in it’s importance when you have vital decisions to make. The Bible says in James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” In asking God for wisdom you partner closer to God as you listen first and then take His counsel.” It has taken some time but I think God has gotten through to me via His Word and hearing counsel from Dottie and others who love me and are concerned for my well being. I will move forward from here as this image captures.
Knowing I am not fully recovered but with a Hope that God is in control and with a renewed commitment to learn patience (no wonder it is a virtue 🙂 in allowing His healing work to continue in his time not mine.
May my actions be more honoring to God now that I have begun to figure out this next stage of my journey
I have spent this week preparing for a special night on our company’s calendar. Each year we set aside an evening to congratulate those who have achieved great success in 2019. The theme for this year’s program is how it takes Courage to reach your goals and how we all need to be encouraged to realize the potential we have inside us. The message is that Courage comes from Believing in yourself so you cross the T out in I Can’t so that you have an attitude of I Can! We then need to trust the process and make the decision to keep moving forward even when there are setbacks and obstacles along the way. For those of you who have been following my recovery from Guillain Barre either on www.caringbridge.org/visit/michaelguthrie or here on the blog, you know it was one year ago this week (3/1/2019), where GBS rendered me paralyzed unable to move for close to three weeks. I then spent 43 days in a rehab facility working hard to regain my strength. Gratefully, I ultimately walked out to head home on April 25th about 6 weeks sooner than those caring for me expected. Guillain Barre took me down just a couple of days after last year’s company celebration so You can understand why preparing for this company event this week has been a soul searching time. I wasn’t sure what to expect as I approached By day of GBS infamy, March 1st. Walking into JPJ on 2/29 to watch Virginia beat Duke was crazy because the year before I was in the ER while they played their last game of the season against Miami. My friend Dr Diduch coming in after the game with his son Tyler to share 4 things which I will never forget. God loves you. It was going to get worse before it got better. I couldn’t be in a better place to get treated. I was going to get better. He was right on all 4 accounts. What we didn’t know was there would be a fifth. I was going to be given a platform to share the lessons learned from my journey Through adversity
March 1st has come and gone. I was grateful for the folks who remembered and reached out to mark the day but, in all honesty, I was struck by how it came and went without much fanfare. Another day in my “GBS recovery likes routine” new normal lifestyle. Not over doing so that Dottie can relax knowing I am doing everything I can to take of myself. I guess what I am saying here is the answer to the title of this blog is “what motivates me” has changed because of Guillain Barre. I am a little bit closer to living out this scripture in my life. 2 Chronicles 15:7 “But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.” My work now is living a life of faith that encourages others who are struggling in one way or another God does indeed love them and will be there no matter what. After all I have been through I now have the platform from where I can say, “I Can” because “I Believe” and now can move forward knowing God was there before, is with me as I continue to recover, and will be with me always no matter what.
There were a lot of Roy Wheeler awards given out Thursday night. Folks were recognized for their achievements in 2019. One person stood out that night. When announced there was A heart felt response and a long standing ovation. It was for the person who motivates me to e the best I can be. Wife of the Year, Dottie Guthrie
I went to a concert last night. Unfortunately, because of my recovery routine, I did not get to see Mercy Me perform. I did get to practically apply a lesson I learned earlier in the week. “Discipline is doing the right things even when you don’t feel like it. The picture here is me getting up early to row
Last night I left the concert before Mercy Me because I need to be in bed no later than 9:30. I was tempted but knew the decision to exercise this discipline was the right choice. I did get to enjoy Jeremy Camp and look forward to the new movie, I Still Believe, coming out soon.
Matthew 6;33,34 says, “But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you also. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Jeremy Camp shared this verse and then said and sang a song that prodded me to write this latest post
?Singing oh Lord, keep me in the moment Help me live with my eyes wide open ‘Cause I don’t wanna miss what you have for me Singing oh Lord, show me what matters Throw away what I’m chasing after ‘Cause I don’t wanna miss what you have for me ? Keep me in the moment Oh, keep me in the moment Keep me in the moment ‘Cause I don’t wanna miss what you have for me?
My moment for almost a year now has been dealing Guillain Barre And the serious impact on my body and now slowly but surely doing everything I can to fully recover. Whether it is exercising when I don’t feel like it or having to leave something early from a concert are “keeping me in the moment” decisions. Jeremy went on to talk about Ebeneezer Stones. “Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.”(1 Samuel 7:12) Ebenezer is only mentioned three times in the Bible. By definition Ebenezer means “stone of help.” This reminded me of a book, Hinds Feet in High Places, which brings me back to the title of this post. Like the character, Much-Afraid, I prepared for my journey through adversity by experiencing God’s presence in my life when I faced struggles, fears, anxiety, etc. The God figure in Hinds Feet shares, “Whenever you are willing to obey me, Much-Afraid, and to follow the path of my choice, you will always be able to hear and recognize my voice, and when you hear it you must always obey. Remember also that it is always safe to obey my voice, even if it seems to call you to paths which look impossible or even crazy.”
I was called into a sickness where recovery at the onset seemed impossible and yes, not being able to move was even crazy. It would have been easy to succumb into fear and discouragement. Instead I chose Hope in what was to come because I had my own Ebeneezer “stones of hope” experiences. Did I not want to go work out? Did I not want to leave the concert? You bet. However, I did both because I knew having that discipline would allow me to be a little bit closer to a full recovery and encourage me to make my life even more dependent on the One who loves me and wants what is best for me. He promises to do the same for you. All you have to do is ask. Hallelujah.
Hebrews 13:3 “Remember those who are in prison as if you were in prison with them. Remember those who are ·suffering [mistreated] ·as if you were suffering with them“
A couple things happened this week that led me to write this post. I have thought about it for the last few weeks but was reluctant because I don’t want it to come across as me whining about my own situation. I saw a friend at church last week who is fighting cancer. He got a good report back in the spring. I realized I had not reached out to him since back in June so I emailed him to check in on him. Here is his response. “How nice of you to reach out to me! The Holy Spirit must have prompted your email, because I am in need of divine comfort and intervention in the face of a medical set back. A new cancerous nodule was recently identified in my other lung. It is not yet clear whether the nodule is a metastasis (bad) or an independently formed instance (less bad).I covet your prayers for peace and healing as I undertake this new phase of my cancer journey.” Then yesterday another friend stopped by my office on a Saturday unannounced. He had no idea I would be there but said he was driving by so thought he would take a chance. I had walked with him a bit after his wife died of cancer two years ago. We hadn’t been in touch for several months. Here is his follow up email. “Thanks again for letting me pop into your office today without even having an appointment. Thanks for taking the time and I am so very happy your health has returned!” Another friend who was in a car accident wrote this when I reached out to see how she was doing “Its a relief to be remembered. Thank you for sharing that with me. Yes- healing through and through, outside in” These interactions made me realize that people who have battled adversity continue to need people like you and me well after you think their adversity is over. My recovery from Guillain Barre has been going on now for almost a year. I now walk into rooms and people don’t react like Wow! “It is so good To see you. How are you? You look great” People who don’t Know me have no idea what I have been through. The reason for sharing this is I now have an idea of what it feels like to still be recovering but not have the same support as early on in my journey. I hesitate to write this because I don’t want this to be about me or trying to make someone feel like they have let me down. The support we have gotten has been amazing. Instead I am hoping that those who choose to read this blog will be encouraged to reach out to someone that has experienced some type of struggle or sadness recently to see how they are doing. Do it right now! Don’t hesitate! Reach out to whoever comes to mind. I am confident you will be greeted with “thank you. I am so glad to know you are thinking about me. It means so much that you care” I would love to hear about what happens when God uses you to make a difference in someone else’s life. Please hit reply and share what happens so we can all be motivated to do it more often.
Someone asked me recently, if I could turn back time, would I go through this year again? The answer obviously is no way but I wouldn’t trade the lessons I have and continue to learn because of the story I now can tell about what it means to journey through adversity. I wear a wristband that simply says Transformed. I put it on back in the spring of 2018 after the Ravi Zacharias talk that Advanced Native Mission sponsored. Little did I know what this word would come to me for me less than a year later. They took it off me in the hospital and in rehab I replaced it for a bit with one that said “I Can I Will I Believe”
Not sure who or where I go it but it reminded me of what a Doctor friend said to me when I was first diagnosed. “God loves you, You will get worse before you get better, You are in the best place to be treated, and You will get better” From that moment, focused on yes i can get better because I believe. Not just because the doctors said so but because there was never a doubt God was going to be with me every step of the way. As I have written here before, I renamed my recovery the “180 Project” because I had two goals. 1) to do a complete turnaround physically while I got back into shape and 2) I wanted to my weight to once again be in the 180’s preferably 185) where it hadn’t been in a very long time. #1 has been accomplished and #2 is in sight. The Transformed wristband pictured here is back on my left arm but for different reasons than when I first put it on almost 2 years ago.
What I hadn’t spent much time on was how I would change as a person because of my Guillain Barre Syndrome diagnosis. The scripture tells us, in 2nd Corinthians 5;17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:The old has gone, the new is here! I now claim this verse in a whole new way. Romans 12:2 says, ” Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will. Guillain Barre Syndrome certainly put me through the test of accepting God’s will. As I have shared here before, I am grateful and out of that gratitude, I have chosen the word Generosity for 2020. I want to pay forward what others have done for us while I was sick and as I work toward a full recovery. Even this morning, two women in my church came up and shared how my renewed health has encouraged them in their own faith. What a blessing that was to me. That would be enough but there is so much more that is happening. My mind is being renewed and with that I am promised a new and better version of Michael Guthrie. Someone who realized how fortunate he is to be better but more importantly to have so many people in my life who truly care about me and my family. That fact is not lost on me and as the writer of Philippians shares, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it” and my own finish to this verse, but because of my own suffering and the adversity I faced, I am moving toward that ultimate goal of being the best version of myself through God’s grace and His mercy. As my brother Kevin reminds me often, “a little bit better each and every day”
I have started paraphrasing scripture while recovering from Guillain Barre Syndrome. It has helped me practically apply the verses that speak out to me. Proverbs 31 came to mind when thinking about what my wife, Dottie. Her support has been incredible over this last year and our marriage is stronger now than ever before. Here is what her sister shared about Dottie being a Proverbs 31 woman.
Dottie epitomized the proverbs 31 woman before
you were sick. While you were sick she perfected the role. Dottie has always
showed her strength of character as a wife and mother. Family first always
providing and sacrificing for them.
Food… for a skinny girl who really does not
like to eat she plans and prepares nutritious food for her loved ones. Food for
you was a priority for Dottie when you were in rehab and coming home.
No idle hands… sewing lettering reading
studying
She is clothed in strength and
dignity…Dottie always can handle tough
situations Stronger than she knows
She speaks with wisdom… Listens and speaks
wisdom Dottie thinks about what she is going to say and how it should be said
Takes notes to help her remember what to ask the dr’s therapist when you were
in rehab
She has the support, love and admiration of
her children and husband.
She fears the lord Studies and prioritizes her relationship with God
What follows are verses from Proverbs 31 with quotes in bold type from others who watched and wrote me about how God has made Dottie into someone quite special.
10 A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. She allowed her heart to love you more through adversity. She dug deep. She allowed herself to entertain the worst possibility “What if he dies” and then moved on and fought each day. 11 Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She stayed in the moment and was determined not to let her thoughts get ahead of her, knowing that being present for Michael would best serve them both — a most generous and loving illustration of “in sickness and in health.”12She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. I saw that same adoring face many times. Now, along with that face I witnessed her strong faith-filled, gracious, clear thinking advocacy and encouragement for Michael.the gift of faithful presence. Sitting. Watching. Holding space for God to do his work. 13 She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. She also read and entertained herself in those long days. She adjusted to each change in venue.14 She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. 15 She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants. 16 She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. 17 She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. Dottie was organized at the hospital and at home an delegated when she could not be both places 18 She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. 19 In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers but Dottie allowed love ones to help her care for you and her 20 She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. She loved on each staff member. She shared you with your family and with your friends.21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet. Dottie’s tenderness, grace, and love shone brightly but beneath that surface was a fierce and determined protector.22 She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple. 23 Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. 24 She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes. 25 She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. Dottie used her keen mind to listen and learn all things medical pertaining to you26 She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. she kept the unknown future at bay by savoring each of Michael’s accomplishments no matter how small it might seem and focusing on the immediate needs of the coming dayShe did it really well-with grace and mercy.27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. She believed her God for good. She stayed in high alert mode for months.28 Her children arise and call her blessed; Dottie allowed the kids to deal with Michael”s illness in their own way. She never made them feel they weren’t doing enough. her husband also, and he praises her: 29 “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.” She was intentional in caring for her own primary needs, sleep nutrition and spiritual encouragement from friends.30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Most of all Dottie kept her focus and trust on God. She continually gathered and processed available information — through the daytime and in the quiet of evening. I treasure the moments we spent together during our visits especially our evening talks, reviewing the day’s milestones and looking ahead to what might unfold during the next day or weeks.31 Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. My words now. I honor and cherish her for every day giving me peace and a the words from her friends say, her care for me brought praise from all who witnessed it.
As promised in my last blog post, Here are a few lessons Dottie and I learned about visiting a patient. 1) Visitors make a huge difference in helping the person and those who are caring for them not feel like they are alone. 2) If the person stays on your mind, take the time to reach out. Don’t think they have so many others coming by they did need you to come. Case in point, I visited someone today and I was the 1st person who had come. If you are unsure, check in with someone close to the patient to see if they are up for visitors. A particular day might not be good but they can tell you a date and time that works. A side note-having someone as your gatekeeper really helps. That way you don’t have folks coming by when you are tired or just needing a break. Most patients are encouraged by visitors but get worn out because they oomph themselves up when others stop by. Creating signs to put on the door is a great idea. Signs like; “Michael is sleeping, please come by later” “Michael is at PT/OT having tests, please try and come by another time.” “2-4 is rest time, please come by after 4”. Have a note pad on the door so folks can you let you know they tried to visit. 3) When you visit, look at your watch and only stay 10-15 minutes. Keep it short and make it about the person who you are comforting and the people there to care for them. Think of the word LAP. Listen, Ask questions, Pray Do not be one of those people who talks about what happened to you or over stays your welcome. Ask, “would it be OK if I stopped by again in a couple of days?” “When is the best time to visit?” I had a few folks that wanted to know when my PT was so they could come cheer me on. Another side note-If you have procedures out of your room, make sure you have someone set up to accompany you to other parts of the hospital. It meant so much to me to have someone there especially during the times I couldn’t move. There were times that whatever they did got finished and then I would wait alone for as much as a half an hour. I always wanted someone there waiting with me. 4) Don’t feel like you need to take a gift but if you are so inclined, here are some things people did for us that were pretty cool.
Get to the hospital a bit early and buy a gift card to the cafeteria/coffee area. Give it to the patient so that family members who are staying with them don’t have to pay when they need something to eat or drink
If you know several folks who know the patient, take up a collection and buy a GrubHub card. That way, they can order food from outside the hospital.
Buy bagels and coffee for the hospital staff who are taking care of the person.
The “least of these” refers to those in a variety of needy situations. They include the hungry, thirsty, impoverished, sick, and imprisoned. In this context, Jesus is speaking to those who were following Him wanting to know how to be considered righteous. Obviously in my case, it had to do with visiting this guy who was fighting back from Guillain Barre Syndrome. If you are finding the blog for the first time read back through some of the posts. You will see that one of the reasons I am Thankful in All Things is the outpouring of support we received and continue to receive from so many people. I have recently returned from a nice vacation where I took the time to read every card that was sent to me. I also have been reading through the notebook Dottie used to chronicle the highlights and the lowlights 🙂 of each day of my journey through adversity. So many folks took time out of their days to check in to say hello, encourage, drop something by, and pray for us. What also is obvious is many others who could not visit prayed regularly, took the time to write a note or make a comment on the caring bridge site. https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/michaelguthrie The visits and cards along with the comments have given me and Dottie the support we need to battle back from this crazy malady resulting from an auto immune disorder which wreaked havoc on my nerve system ultimately making me unable to move. This brings me back to the passage “we are to do this for the least of these.”
People taking the time to visit me in the hospital, rehab, and in the early weeks recovering at home, gave me a new appreciation for how important it is to do it. It has never been easy for me. There are many times I never went even though I knew I should. I would send a card, email, or text but somehow find a way not to actually go and be present with the person who was sick. I can’t explain why but I am guessing many who read this blog have had the same dilemma. I can honestly say that even though I still find it hard, I now feel compelled to go. Why? Because I know it can make a difference. The question is what is the best way to go about visiting someone in need? It is so easy to say, ” I am not very good at it” or ” I am sure I will just be in the way.” Believe me. Neither of these are reasons not to try and comfort or encourage someone. Your willingness to go and not overstay your welcome can be life giving. In my blog post, I will share some tips from Dottie and my personal experiences on how to allow God to use you well as you strive to care for those who need it. As Nike would encourage, “Just do it!” But do it with sensitivity.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”2 Corinthians 1:3-4
If you are a regular follower of this blog, it will come as no surprise when I write “we absolutely need others’ support and encouragement along the journey.” I can’t imagine doing this on my own. It has been the biggest lesson I have learned in my recovery from Guillain Barre Syndrome. I was time and time again “comforted in my affliction” and it has given me a new purpose to bring comfort to others so that “they may be comforted. Many of you have asked me to share my story not just from a faith perspective but also as to how this relates to reaching your full potential in life. I have been asked to speak to Realtors, college fellowships, sports teams, real estate/auto management teams, and men’s fellowship groups. I have learned in a new way that GBS has given me a platform because of what I have gone through. You can get the back story of my health challenge that started March 1st by going to https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/michaelguthrie/journal Posted below is a talk I gave back in November where I dig deeper into how we are called to help each other using the story of Jesus raising Lazurus from the dead (John 11). In this story we realize that Lazurus can only be freed from his dead clothes with the help of others. I also talk about the four friends who bring a paralyzed man so that Jesus can heal him (John 2). Jesus tells them that the man was healed because of their faith not the one who needed healing. My hope is that it will help you see why I am trying to be “Thankful in All Things” and that if we want to reach our full potential we need the encouragement of others.
grateful for this wonderful family who played a huge role in my recovery.Some of the many people who time and time again showed up for me and Dottie as we fought back from what has been the biggest challenge of our lives.
