A Week of Protection and Provision

Friday January 13, 2012


It's been quite a week for our family, but His blessings have shone through. If you'll read below, a couple of earlier blog posts tell you a bit about our son's car accident. But even in the midst of a challenging and sometimes scary week, favorites shine through.

Susanne from Living to Tell the Story hosts Friday’s Fave Five each week. Click on over to get the details and join us.

Here are only five of many blessings I found in this week:

1. God’s protection. If you saw a picture of my son’s car, you’d know exactly what I mean.

2. God’s provision. In everything from places to stay, food, gift cards for expenses, and loaner cars, He has provided amazingly.

3. God’s people. At times like these, they seem to come out of the woodwork. We’re so thankful for all the support we’ve received from all over the place.

4. Successful surgeries. My son has had two and he’s ready to begin the healing. We’re praying for quick and complete healing and lots of patience for a long road of PT.

5. A lovely quote. Yes, this one is quite different. And there’s a story behind it. When we arrived at the hospital, our son was in surgery. After what seemed an interminable wait, we got to see him. He was intubated and couldn’t speak until the next morning when they took the tube out. That’s when I heard the quote that meant the world:

“I love you, Mom.”

We’d so appreciate continued prayers for Andrew’s healing and road back. We’re so thankful for him and can’t wait to help him down that road.

Feelin' Pretty Dusty

Wednesday January 11, 2012

I escaped the hospital today, for just a few hours.

I’ve been here for days, often by myself, and I was feeling pretty dusty. Two sweet sons engineered my getaway; one came to pick me up and the other arranged for a trusted friend to sit with Andrew. (Andrew is my third son, who is in the hospital following a serious car accident. A few more details here and on Facebook.)

It’s an honor and a privilege to be a mom. I was reminded of that when my son awoke from his first surgery with the words, “I love you, Mom.”

But sometimes the path gets stirred up, there are holes and detours, and we get to feeling pretty dusty. I know I have this week.

My sweet daughter-in-law sent me this verse the other day, and I’ve seen it come to life over and again since.

“As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him; for He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust." (Psalm 103:13,14)

As I sat by my son’s hospital bed with compassion pouring out of every pore, I remembered that He has compassion on me. As I love and hurt for my son, He loves and hurts for me. And he knows. He remembers. He knows how my boy was formed—just where those bones should be.

He remembers what? That we’re dust. We fall. We cling. We wallow. He remembers that, and He still has compassion on me.

We live in a dusty world. It’s fallen. Bad stuff happens. But in the midst of it all, His unfailing compassion is there.

Whatever your dust today, that’s quite a promise!

From Macaroni Angels to Hospital Beds

Sunday January 8, 2012

My macaroni angel artist, son Andrew, was involved in a serious car accident on the way to teach school on Friday morning. If you've visited my Facebook page, you know.

It's clear the Lord was protecting hin that morning. His injuries are quite serious, but not life-threatening. He has had one surgery and faces another this week, possibly more. Rehab will follow. Thank the Lord he young, healthy, and strong.

So much to be thankful for, so much to pray for as I sit here in his hospital room. I can't thank you enough for kind words and prayers. Just keep it up, please!

I'll post as I can. There may be long stretches of nothing to do here, but there are certainly busy times with a steady stream of friends. As I wrote Friday, this too is living and loving, and we're thankful for His presence as we walk through it.

Living and Loving

Friday January 6, 2012


Winter is upon us here in Florida (brrr), even though most of you are wore flip flops for a day or two this week. Even though I had to relinquish free time and return to the job, I still have some favorites to write about.

How about you? Can you name five blessings from your week? Susanne from Living to Tell the Story hosts Friday’s Fave Five each week. Click on over to get the details and join us. It's a great way to get this new year going.

Here’s my list of favorites from this week:

1. Macaroni angels. This is the week I say goodbye to my Christmas tree. I do hate taking the tree down. But I love the reminiscing I do both as I put it up and take it down—looking at ornaments made years ago by sweet little hands. I wrote about that (and about our loss of power and water on Christmas Eve) here. I’m guessing some of you have macaroni angels, too…!

2. Lunchtime with friends. I hate saying hello to early mornings, but it is good to be back with my lunch bunch again. We talk, we laugh, we tell stories…I love eating lunch at school with my teacher buddies.

3. Having a college boy home. Again, the worst part is letting him go back! But it’s been great to have our youngest at the dinner table.

4. The second half of the year. I know, it’s the beginning of the calendar year, but as a teacher and student I’ve been conditioned for so long to think of the year differently! When I get a little weary in front of the classroom now, I can tell myself we’re halfway done—on the downhill side.

5. This quote:

A happy New Year! Grant that I
May bring no tear to any eye
When this New Year in time shall end
Let it be said I've played the friend,
Have lived and loved and labored here,
And made of it a happy year. (Edgar Guest)

I’m still feeling the newness of this year, savoring the freshness and promise of things to come. And when I read the last three lines of this little verse, I thought of my blog friends…and I wanted to share it with you.

Enjoy a week of living and loving!

Macaroni Angels and a Boil Water Order

Wednesday January 4, 2012


I’ve wanted to write about both of these things for several days. I had an epiphany while driving home from school today – I suddenly realized how these two things are like.

I love my macaroni angels. You see the front above. I love the back, too, where the childish scrawl says “Andrew,” followed by the date in my hand.

They’ll hang on my tree until they fall apart. Right alongside the posterboard cutout of a stable with a bit of real straw stuck to it…and a Baby Jesus with stick arms and legs in the manger.

I have a friend with a designer tree. It’s lovely. Ever year, its beauty takes my breath away. But try as I might, search as I will, I never see a single macaroni angel hanging there. And I think of mine and smile.

Because my tree? Its beauty doesn’t take your breath away; its bits and pieces represent moments that took my breath away.

Beauty in imperfection. Love in the making.

Our Christmas Eve was kind of like that. The day was busy. We have a Christmas Eve birthday boy in our family, so the Eve is busier than ever. The mom in me tries to make his birthday as special and separate as I can. His celebration at lunch is followed by family Christmas Eve dinner, then the opening of family Christmas gifts.

Having a technical husband and son who work in churches is not unlike any church staff family. Christmas Eve service? Multiple services? They need to be there. So we juggled that as well on Christmas Eve.

We enjoyed Christmas Eve dinner together and two left to work another service, with a promise to return to open family gifts afterward. I started cleaning up the kitchen and suddenly the power dipped and then went out…kind of. Long story short, we lost half the power in half the house. I couldn’t see in the kitchen to do the dishes, but I did notice the water had slowed to a trickle.

I abandoned the dishes and sat by the tree (where the power was still on). The birthday boy and I did some last-minute wrapping and had a good conversation. By the time my husband and son got home, not much had changed. Still half power; still no water.

We opened presents and enjoyed the evening. The water was back by 11 PM, but since there was a boil water order, we couldn’t use it for much. The power can back on at 3:30 Christmas morning.

I’ve learned (often the hard way) not to expect the perfect Christmas, and I’m not on the hunt for the perfect New Year, either.

For the imperfection, the simple, the human, and even child-like all frame my need for Someone greater.

My macaroni angels and my boil-water-order Christmas both remind me.

It’s not about perfection, but the beauty in the imperfection.

It’s about the love in the making.


Linking up today with Laura at The Wellspring for Playdates with God, Jen at Finding Heaven Today for Soli deo Gloria, and Jen, whose button you see below. Click on over and come along with us!