Round 3 — YHWH

Have you ever heard the theory of YHWH?

YHWH is the name God introduces Himself with in Scripture. As you can see—no vowels, which has led us mortal humans to the task of knowing how to pronounce the name of God by filling the vowels in. Many call God, “Yahweh,” adding the A and E.

But there’s another theory, and it’s quite beautiful. YHWH are simply breathing sounds. Every breath you take, regardless if you identify as Christian or are a self-proclaimed atheist—every breath you take, you call upon the name of God. The first breath of a newborn calls upon the name of God. Just as our lungs need air, we even more so need God—so we call on Him with every breath.

I’ve thought about this quite a bit as Nicole has gone through moments of struggling to breathe. She had blood clots in her lungs, and high fevers can make breathing heavier. As her breaths have been labored, so are our requests.

It’s made me thankful that Nicole has called upon God beyond a breath. I'm thankful she embraced the cross and surrendered her life to Him. She is loved by YHWH more than I could ever love her. She’s His daughter more than she is my wife. It’s that reality that gives us both confidence.

We’re halfway through round 3 of chemo.

The day before round 3, we were blessed to be able to go out for a lunch sushi date. One of the most refreshing dates. When chemo started the next day, Nicole had some energy—energy enough to play Nintendo with me in the hospital bed.

But as expected, day 3 of chemo changes things. She feels very depleted, discouraged. Before devotions this morning, we talked about taking one day at a time, not trying to understand why this is happening but using that energy to simply be faithful. We talked about many of you who have encouraged us, given us meals, gift cards for carryout, and blessed us. Truthfully, it’s given her precious motivation.

Today and tomorrow will be sleeping days—then I’ll bring her home. Whether simply breathing or in prayer, we continue to call upon YHWH.