My thoughts are swirling like the autumn leaves outside! I spent most of last week with one of my center daughters who delivered a baby girl on Friday afternoon. It was delightful to hold a newborn twig for our family tree in my arms on Saturday! Posie held up well and is doing a great job of mothering and wifeing too. She observed that her baby appeared to be the most beautiful baby she had ever seen in her life but admitted that she might be a bit prejudiced!
Another of the center daughters is due to deliver her little gal next month and is showing signs of early labor which I am joining her in praying will hold off a bit so that there is more time for God to finish up making the lungs and the liver on the baby before delivery. We love babies around here and since this little one's older brother was a preemie we know lockbox can mother a preemie but are asking God for a full term one this time although we know God doesn't take orders from us so we will bow to whatever He decides. She is trying to lie down and sit down and drink lots of fluids to stave off birth for a bit while the doctors watch her and monitor things.
Meanwhile, my father in law was at death's door yesterday so hubby was fielding calls about his Dad's and mom's struggle in that area. He seemed to turn a corner yesterday afternoon and is continueing to improve today. So we are thanking God for that miracle today and asking him to help the crew at that hospital to hang in there! Whew!
In the meantime Song and I managed to can and freeze most of the two and a half bushels of tomatoes we had sitting here waiting for attention. I have a few more on the table to make into another batch of salsa. It sure is nice to have a couple of extra hands helping to get the larders full! The tomatoes would have turned to mush and been tossed to the chickens if I were trying to get them processed by myself!
Song and hubby also worked on felling and cutting up another tree this week while I was busy with daughter's labor so we are that much closer to having our winter's wood cut! I feel relieved and grateful to see those chunks of firewood piling up. We've got a bit more to cut before we can settle back into our easy chairs though. Some of what is cut up will need to be split and stacked too.
Son is busy working on midterm papers and so I'm trying to be really inspiring but keep myself from being too involved too as he labors over this comparative piece of writing. It's a tough balance.
It's hard as a parent in this and many sitiuations to figure out how invoved to be so that I am helpful and yet not get too involved and start to carry the load for him. I would love to just write the paper for him or at least decide on the topic and set up the outline. But that would not really help him in the long run so I have been trying to be a good listener and let him bounce ideas off me.
It was like that as I spent time along side my daughter and son in law this week during her labor. How much do I say and how much do I keep my thoughts between God and me?
It was also like that yesterday as I watched and listened to my hubby agonize over his Dad's medical crisis. We prayed and talked and prayed and talked. The hard part for him is wanting to be there and lesson his mother's pain and his father's suffering as well as longing to come along side his younger brother and shoulder some of the burden he carries when there is a stressful time at home. I can understand some of that because I've experienced my parents' health crises. But at the same time I can't understand because this is not my mother,father or brother and no two people go through the same thing the same way. So again the struggle is to keep my mouth shut more than it's open and keep holding my hubby and his family up to God knowing that He is much wiser than me and knows and loves them all more than I can.
It's hard to let God be God in my life and in the lives of those around me. But it sure beats the alternative!
Comments (5)
Congrats on the new grandbaby! How wonderful to hold that sweet little one in your arms!
I know its tough to watch new life and see the old life fade. The Lord gives the Lord takes away, bless be the name of the Lord!
You are in my thoughts and prayers!
At least you realized that helping also means stepping back. Yes God has given you a chance to support your husband in his time of stress, I'm sure he loves you for your help.
Babies are being born all the time. Why some babies are premies is not logical, but fortunately or maybe not fortunately we have ways to help premies, something that wasn't available 30 years ago.
Even better in some ways is the new bit sized burnable chunks of wood that they sell. Supposedly they burn at a good rate and are more predictible than hand cut logs. I suppose you will never convert to the new type of wood burning, but really I don't know much about it either.
Congratulations on the new addition on your family tree :)
Yay babies! Yay Grandpa seeming better! Yay for you being around!!!!
@firefighterswife - thanks for praying it has been and continues to be a wonderful and awful time when we feel God's presence! Grandbaby # 6 is small but doing fine as is her mother.@PPhilip - Yes stepping to the side is a big part of being supportive!@TheCheshireGrins - Thanks a bunch!@botanyhead - Thannks again for praying!!