Silent Prayer

Dear friends (for I do consider you all friends, even those who remain cloaked in the veil of anonymity),
Today's post is a serious one. Tomorrow morning my mom will enter the hospital, and at one o'clock she will enter the operating room for a knee replacement. I know this is a routine surgery that is done thousands of times every day across the country, but nothing is routine when it is personal.
My mom has withstood arthritis for the last sixteen years, and she has gone as long as she can go on these knees; it's time for a trade-in, an upgrade, a newer model, if you will. It has come to the point that every step is a struggle, and you can see the pain she is constantly feeling written all over her face. At 56, she is a relatively young candidate for a knee replacement, but she has simply endured as much as she can.
I ask you for your prayers and thoughts throughout this process. I ask, of course, for prayer throughout the actual surgery tomorrow, but the road of recovery will be a long one, as well, and I know there will bumps in that road. I ask you to pray for my mom's strength, determination, and dedication to fulfilling the goals necessary for recovery. I also ask that you will pray for her to have calm throughout these final hours before the surgery; my mother is a lady of strong faith, and I know her faith and trust in the Lord will take her a far way.
I also ask that, while you're at it, you say a little prayer for my courage and patience throughout this process. Because my mom and I have been a two-man team for the past fourteen years, a lot of the responsibility that comes along with preparations, care, and arrangements for the surgery has fallen on my shoulders. I will be the first to admit that sometimes that responsibility frightens me, but I know my faith in God will help me to overcome the obstacles I fear. In addition, I know there will be days throughout her recovery that will try my patience, and I ask that you pray for God to give me understanding and resilience so that I can be an encouragement to her.
Finally, I ask you to pray for the team of doctors, nurses, and therapists that will take her through surgery and recovery. I pray God will use these people as his hands on earth to heal what is broken and hurting in my mom. I pray that even though they go through this procedure everyday, she will remain an individual to them, a person and not just a chart. She has full faith in all of these people, and I know she will receive excellent treatment.
As I said above, it has been just my mom and I for more than a decade now, so, although she is having the surgery, we are really going into this together. She and I have an indescribable bond, and, although, like all mothers, she knows just how to push my buttons, I cannot imagine what my life would be like without her. I ask you to offer up a prayer anytime you think of us throughout these next days, weeks, and months as she recovers. Any prayers would be valued and cherished, even if you don't know my mom, even if, in fact, you don't know me.
I thank you in advance for your love and support throughout this process. Your support for me in turn supports her, so I thank you for your thoughts and prayers. I thank you just for listening.
All my love,
Spring